Jellyella

Taxobox
name = "Membraniporidae"


image_width = 200px
image_caption = "Jellyella eburnea" on a "Spirula" shell
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Bryozoa
classis = Gymnolaemata
ordo = Cheilostomida
subordo = Malacostega
familia = Membraniporidae
genus = "Jellyella"
genus_authority = Paul D. Taylor and Neale Monks, 1997

"Jellyella" is a genus of bryozoan in the family Membraniporidae.

Etymology

The genus is named in honour of the Eliza Catherine Jelly (1829–1914), of Cornwall, England in honour of her contributions to the study of bryozoans.cite web|url=http://www.tmbl.gu.se/libdb/taxon/personetymol/petymol.ij.html|title=Biographical Etymology of Marine Organism Names. I & J|accessdate=2007-09-22]

Morphology

"Jellyella" closely resemble "Membranipora", and in common with other members of the family Membraniporidae has twinned ancestrular zooids. However, "Jellyella" can be distinguished by the presence of intricately branched processes (called spinules) projecting into the zooidal chambers. "Jellyella" also have a calcitic skeletal ultrastructure comprised from transversely arranged, elongate spindles.

Ecology

"Jellyella" unusual in being a pseudoplanktonic bryozoan found encrusting floating objects, both natural and artificial.cite journal|last=Taylor|first=P. D.|coauthors=Monks, N.|title=A new cheilostome genus pseudoplanktonic on molluscs and algae|journal=Invertebrate Biology|volume= 116 |pages=39–51|year=1997|doi=10.2307/3226923] "Jellyella eburnea" is common on shells of the squid "Spirula" (which become detached from the soft body of the squid after death) and on the shells of the planktonic gastropod "Janthina". "Jellyella tuberculata" normally grows on the floating alga "Sargassum". By contrast, most other bryozoans are benthic, encrusting things like kelp hard substrates.

pecies

*"Jellyella eburnea" (Hincks, 1891). Tropical Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Oceans.
*"Jellyella tuberculata" (Bosc, 1802). Widespread, subtropical. Colloquially known as the Gulf weed bryozoan.

References