Celleporidae is a family of
bryozoans – colonial, aquatic, invertebrates – in the order
Cheilostomatida
Cheilostomatida, also called Cheilostomata, is an order of Bryozoa in the class Gymnolaemata.
They are exclusively marine, colonial invertebrate animals. Cheilostome colonies are composed of calcium carbonate and grow on a variety of surfaces, ...
. Structurally, they are defined by densely packed
zooids (individual animals which make up the colony). The zooids usually have irregular direction, and are defined by morphological characteristics.
Masses of the dead animals can form shallow sediments. Members of the family are
recorded from every ocean, even around Antarctica, where they are represented primarily by the genus ''
Osthimosia.''
Fossils of the family exist as old as from 235 million years ago, during the
Triassic
The Triassic ( ) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.6 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.36 Mya. The Triassic is the first and shortest period ...
period.
Genera
*''
Buffonellaria''
*''
Buskea''
*''
Calvipelta''
*''
Cellepora''
*''
Celleporina''
*''
Chasmatooecium''
*''
Chasmazoon''
*''
Galeopsis
''Galeopsis'', commonly called hemp-nettle or hempnettle, is a genus of annual herbaceous plants native to Europe and Asia. Some species are naturalized in North America and New Zealand.
The plants are poisonous. Several species are widespread w ...
''
*''
Lagenipora
''Lagenipora'' is a genus of bryozoans belonging to the family Celleporidae.
The genus has almost cosmopolitan distribution.
Species:
*''Lagenipora americana''
*''Lagenipora ampullacea''
*''Lagenipora aragoi''
*''Lagenipora brevicollis''
...
''
*''
Omalosecosa''
*''
Orthoporidroides''
*''
Osthimosia''
*''
Palmicellaria''
*''
Pourtalesella''
*''
Predanophora''
*''
Pseudocelleporina''
*''
Richbunea''
*''
Scorpiodinipora''
*''
Sinuporina''
*''
Spigaleos''
*''
Tegminula''
*''
Turbicellepora''
References
Further reading
*
Cheilostomatida
Bryozoan families
Extant Eocene first appearances
{{Bryozoan-stub