Celleporidae Explained

Celleporidae is a family of bryozoans – colonial, aquatic, invertebrates – in the order Cheilostomatida. 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.^[1] Masses of the dead animals can form shallow sediments.^[2] Members of the family are recorded from every ocean, even around Antarctica, where they are represented primarily by the genus Osthimosia.^[3] Fossils of the family exist as old as from 235 million years ago, during the Triassic period.^[4]

Genera

• Buffonellaria
• Buskea
• Calvipelta
• Cellepora
• Celleporina
• Chasmatooecium
• Chasmazoon
• Galeopsis
• Lagenipora
• Omalosecosa
• Orthoporidroides
• Osthimosia
• Palmicellaria
• Pourtalesella
• Predanophora
• Pseudocelleporina
• Richbunea
• Scorpiodinipora
• Sinuporina
• Spigaleos
• Tegminula
• Turbicellepora

Further reading

• Book: Bulletin . 1916 . 71–74.

Notes and References

1. López Gappa . Juan . Liuzzi . María G. . 2008 . A new Antarctic Osthimosia (Bryozoa, Cheilostomata, Celleporidae) with dimorphic zooids . Polar Biology . en . 32 . 1 . 47–51 . 10.1007/s00300-008-0501-5 . 0722-4060. 11336/103444 . free .
2. Web site: Celleporidae Johnston 1838 - Encyclopedia of Life . 2024-02-04 . eol.org.
3. Web site: Celleporidae . 2024-02-04 . www.gbif.org . en.
4. Web site: Fossilworks: Celleporidae . 2024-02-04 . www.fossilworks.org.