Operculum (bryozoa)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

All or part of this article may be confusing or unclear. Please help clarify the article. Suggestions may be on the talk page. (April 2008)

Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (April 2008)

This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. Please help recruit one or improve this article yourself. See the talk page for details. Please consider using {{Expert-subject}} to associate this request with a WikiProject

In the bryozoan order Cheilostomata, the operculum is a calcareous or chitinous lid-like structure that protects the opening through which the polypide protrudes. Many species have modified the operculum in specialized zooids (avicularia) to form a range of mandibles (probably for defense) or hair-like setae (probably for cleaning, or in some unattached species, such as Selenaria, for locomotion ^[1] ).

The cylcostome family Eleidae also convergently evolved an opercular structure during the Early Cretaceous to Paleocene ^[2].

[edit] References