Pectinatellidae
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| Pectinatellidae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A colony of P. magnifica lifted above water. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Bryozoa |
| Class: | Phylactolaemata |
| Order: | Plumatellida |
| Family: | Pectinatellidae Lacourt, 1968 |
| Genera | |
Pectinatellidae is a monotypic family of freshwater bryozoans belonging to the class Phylactolaemata. Like most bryozoans, they are colonial and filter feeding organisms. These organisms lack a calcareous exterior, instead forming gelatinous colonies.[1]
The family contains only one known species: Pectinatella magnifica.[2] They are found globally throughout North America, Europe, and Asia.[3]
Pectinatella magnifica (P. magnifica) is the only identified species in the family Pectinatellidae. It was discovered by Joseph Leidy in 1851, near Philadelphia.[4] They are especially unique compared to other bryozoan colonies in that they are able to grow up to 2 meters (6.6 ft) in diameter, making them some of the largest bryozoan colonies.[1]
Phylogeny
Phylogenetic relationships between the seven families in the Phylactolaemata class are unresolved and remain a subject of scientific debate. The two main methods for genus and species identification are analysis of molecular DNA and inspection of statoblast morphology under a microscope.[1]
Pectinatellidae has recently[when?] been placed in the Pectinatella–Cristatella–P. fruticosa clade, with sister taxa Cristatellidae and "Plumatella" fruticosa, the last of which "thus is not a plumatellid." The ancestor to Pectinatellidae and Cristatellidae likely diverged from P. fruticosa in the Permian period. Later, Pectinatellidae and Cristatellidae diverged from each other during the Middle Triassic. The gelatinous morphology (see below) of the PCP clade is assumed to be a distinct character state, derived from the ancestral "branching type" morphology seen in other phylactolaemate bryozoans.[1]