Nature Done Wright

   Earlier this week I posted a photo of a bizarre mystery mass I saw floating in Lake Appert. The conjecture was that it was frog spawn.

     Think again. According to Patrick Scheuer, the ace naturalist at Lorrimer Sanctuary:

     "It’s a colony of freshwater bryozoans.  They are single celled organisms that work together as a larger animal.  Individuals in the colony assume different roles.  Some filter plankton and algae out of the water; others act as a sort of outer shell, etc.  There are only 20 or so species in all of North America.  Fascinating critters."

   Thanks, Patrick!

    They are still a bit of mystery to me. Here’s a link:

www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/bryozoa/bryozoa.html