• Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Bryozoa
  • Class: Gymnolaemata
  • Order: Cheilostomatida
  • Suborder: Neocheilostomatina
  • Superfamily: Membraniporoidea
  • Family: Electridae
  • Scientific name: Electra pilosa
  • Norwegian: stjernemosdyr

Characteristics:

The colonies form irregular star shapes or broad sheets on algae, hydroid stems, stones, shells or almost any other surface. The zooid boxes are often rectangular boxes of typically 0.45 x 0.3 mm. It may be confused with similar species.

Habitat:

It is common in shallow waters, growing on algae and hydroids.

Distribution:

This is a cosmopolitan, widespread in the Arctic, the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and in Australia.