Cristatella Explained

Cristatella mucedo is a bryozoan in the family Cristatellidae, and the only species of the genus Cristatella.[1] [2] They are noted for their elongated shape and colorless, transparent bodies.[3]

Distribution

The species can be found in north-eastern North America (Canada,[4] and United States), Northern Europe, including United Kingdom, Lithuania, Norway, Finland, and the Netherlands from sea level to asl.[5]

Habitat and ecology

The species prefers cold climate waters. They live in statoblastic colonies[6] that can range from 5 to 10 centimeters. The habitat is either lotic or lentic,[7] including man-made water bodies such as gravel pits.

Populations in Europe are genetically relatively homogeneous, perhaps reflecting postglacial colonization representing a single lineage. In contrast, North American populations are highly diverse. There is some evidence of two different major lineages, perhaps representing cryptic species or subspecies, with hybridization that have boosted genetic diversity.[8] Some colonies have shown capabilities in sexual reproduction in brief instances.

Notes and References

  1. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/species-of-the-day/scientific-advances/disease/cristatella-mucedo/index.html Cristatella mucedo
  2. Bock, P. . 2015 . Cristatella Cuvier, 1798 . 254314 . 30 August 2016 . Bryozoa.
  3. Šatkauskienė. Ingrida. Wood. Timothy. Rutkauskaitė-Sucilienė. Jurgita. Mildažienė. Vida. Tučkutė. Simona. 2018-12-07. Freshwater bryozoans of Lithuania (Bryozoa). ZooKeys. en. 774. 53–75. 10.3897/zookeys.774.21769. 1313-2970. 6053470. 30034263. free . 2018ZooK..774...53S .
  4. Web site: Species list of Albertas bryozoans on Aquatic Invertebrates of Alberta . 2012-02-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140607225833/http://sunsite.ualberta.ca/Projects/Aquatic_Invertebrates/?Page=16 . 2014-06-07 . dead .
  5. Økland. Karen Anna. Økland. Jan . amp . 2000 . Freshwater bryozoans (Bryozoa) of Norway: Distribution and ecology of Cristatella mucedo and Paludicella articulata . Hydrobiologia . 421 . 1 . 1–24 . 10.1023/A:1003917200848. 39721563.
  6. Web site: Microscopy UK . Micscape . Freshwater bryozoans or moss animals. July 2009 . Michiel van der Waaij . 2012-02-13.
  7. Uotila . Laura . Jokela . Jukka . amp . 1995 . Variation in reproductive characteristics of colonies of the freshwater bryozoan Cristatella mucedo . Freshwater Biology . 34 . 3 . 513–522 . 10.1111/j.1365-2427.1995.tb00909.x. 1995FrBio..34..513U .
  8. Freeland. Joanna R. . Romualdi. Chiara. Okamura. Beth . amp . 2000 . Gene flow and genetic diversity: a comparison of freshwater bryozoan populations in Europe and North America . Heredity . 85 . 5 . 498–508 . 10.1046/j.1365-2540.2000.00780.x. 11122429 . free .

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