Electra posidoniae
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Electra posidoniae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Electra posidoniae on Posidonia oceanica, Sardinia, Italy | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Bryozoa |
| Class: | Gymnolaemata |
| Order: | Cheilostomatida |
| Family: | Electridae |
| Genus: | Electra |
| Species: | E. posidoniae |
| Binomial name | |
| Electra posidoniae | |
Electra posidoniae is a species of bryozoan in the family Electridae. It is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea,[1] and is commonly known as the Neptune-grass bryozoan because it is exclusively found growing on seagrasses, usually on Neptune grass (Posidonia oceanica), but occasionally on eelgrass (Zostera marina).[2]
Electra posidoniae is a white bryozoan forming encrusting colonies of zooids on the leaves of seagrasses. The colonies consist of irregularly branching ribbons formed from a single layer of zooids, up to four zooids wide, neatly arranged in parallel rows along the length of the leaf blade. The colonies can reach 10 cm (4 in) in length; they are poorly calcified which makes the colony flexible and able to bend as the leaf moves in the water. This species could be confused with Electra pilosa, which also grows in the Mediterranean, but that species tends to grow in star-shaped colonies that have a rough or bristly appearance.[2]
Distribution and habitat
Electra posidoniae is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea where it grows on Posidonia oceanica and occasionally Zostera marina. These seagrasses grow in soft sediment at depths down to about 35 m (115 ft). They have rhizomes sending up tufts of leaves of new leaves and losing their old foliage in the autumn. Electra posidoniae is the most common bryozoan on P. oceanica in the Mediterranean in the depth range 15 to 30 m (50 to 100 ft). It has a life cycle synchronised with that of the grass.[3]
