It probably wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that this “thing”, which can look disturbing and resembles enormous gelatinous bags, resembles an alien egg. Actually, this ‘thing’ is not a single ‘thing’. It contains a colony.

If you have enough question marks in your mind, to take a closer look at what this strange creature is Let’s satisfy our curiosity.

The name of the interesting living species is “bryozoan”.

The structure begins to form in spring, reaches its peak in late summer and fall, and dies in winter. These animals, which emerged from asexual reproduction, Yes, you heard right, animals; It is called ‘bryozoan’.

It is estimated that more than 4,000 species of bryozoans occur on all continents except Antarctica. Most of them live in the marine environment. Only 24 of the people in North America can live in fresh water.

Its origins date back to 488 million years ago.

Bryozoans, which are quite harmless, can be seen even in the waters of urban centers. Their only disadvantage is that they get stuck in filter systems. by bringing together small organisms, said Kathleen Stormont of the Stanley Park Ecology Society. forming a colony These animals have very ancient lineages that have remained unchanged for hundreds of thousands of years.

So what exactly is the structure of Bryozoans?

These interesting animals have a very uncomplicated structure. Their mouth and anus are in the same place and They have organs known as polyps. They also have a U-shaped limb called the ‘lophophore’ that filters possible nutrients from the environment, such as algae.

They have a much more important mission than we can imagine.

According to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, these animals are: an important part of the ecosystem because they purify the water and serve as prey for mussels, snails and small fish. Their green color increases the clarity of the water thanks to the algae they eat.

Although not dangerous, you can see such a creature swimming in the water. if it touched our feet Who knows what we’ll do?

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