Bowerbankia

Bowerbankia, a common genus in the class of Bryozoa or Polyzoa. These are colonies of minute but highly organised animals, which used to be included among the hydroids or zoophytes, but are now unanimously placed at a much higher level. B. imbricata is one of the commonest British coast forms. It grows on seaweeds, corallines, stones, &c., between high and low water mark, or in no great depth of water, and forms branching tufts sometimes 1½ inch in height. The branches are smooth and transparent, and bear numerous individual animals of microscopic size. The genus is named after James Scott Bowerbank (1797-1877), who wrote a famous monograph on the British Spongiadae (1864). See POLYZOA.