Biology of Bryozoans

Book excerpt: Biology of Bryozoans covers some of the unusual and even unique systems and aspects of bryozoans. The book discusses the gametogenesis of bryozoans; the brooding patterns of bryozoans; and the structure and classification of gymnolaemate larvae. The text also describes the metamorphosis, ancestrulae, and coloniality in bryozoan life cycles; the ultrastructure, mineralogy, and development of bryozoan skeletons; and polymorphism in marine bryozoans. Bryozoan feeding and culture; experimental techniques and culture methods; and the problem of the funiculi and the communications are also considered. The book further tackles the aging process in bryozoans; the bryozoan nervous system; and taxes and tropisms of bryozoans. The text also looks into the life strategies of bryozoans; the population genetics of bryozoans; and the adaptive model for the evolution of the ectoproct life cycle. Zoologists, marine biologists, and students taking related courses will find the book invaluable.