Alcyonidium pedunculatum
(Smooth Leather Bryozoan)
© Aaron Baldwin (Photo ID #2208)
Photographer's Submitted Details
Photo Location
Kruzof Island, Sitka Sound
Photographer
Aaron Baldwin
Habitat
Below 30 meters
Photo Date
Upload Date
October 25, 2007
Elevation (m)
Latitude
Longitude
Photo ID #
2208
Comments
This unusual animal is a bryozoan. Most bryozoa resemble moss and form encrusting colonies on rocks, shells, kelps, etc. This species forms an upright gelatinous colony that looks very much like a strange brown algae (kelps and relatives). The first specimen we encountered stumped all of us at our lab in Sitka, so we sent the specimen to Sandra Lindstrom (at UBC) who identified it not as an algae but as an animal! Specimen collected by Bob Reid. Photo taken with Pentax Optio W10 underwater camer