| Catenicellidae Temporal range: Late Cretaceous - Recent |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Bryozoa |
| Class: | Gymnolaemata |
| Order: | Cheilostomata |
| Suborder: | Ascophora |
| Infraorder: | Acanthostegomorpha |
| Superfamily: | Catenicelloidea |
| Family: | Catenicellidae Busk, 1852 |
| Genera | |
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About 30, see text |
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The Catenicellidae are a group of ascophoran bryozoans, making up the namesake family of the superfamily Catenicelloidea. These animals are characterized by branching colonies, which are flexible due to soft joints between nodes consisting of single or a few zooids. The colony is attached by soft rootlets (rhizoids) to the substrate, which can be rock, sea grasses, or even other bryozoans. These characters give colonies a bushy appearance, and they are therefore often confused with sea weed.
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