Found in an artificial lake in the village. At first, when I saw it from far away, I got really scared. Then I walked closer and started examining it carefully, but with no success. I still can’t figure out what it is.
What you discovered in that artificial lake is actually a massive colony of bryozoans (specifically, Pectinatella magnifica, commonly known as the magnificent bryozoan).
While it looks like a single, bizarre creature, it is actually a highly organized underwater metropolis made up of thousands of tiny microscopic organisms working together.
What Exactly Is a Bryozoan?
A bryozoan colony is a collection of microscopic aquatic invertebrates called zooids. Each individual zooid is less than a millimeter long, but they secrete a shared, jelly-like protein matrix that binds them together.
[Individual Microscopic Zooid] ---> [Secretes Jelly Matrix] ---> [Multiplies into Massive Cluster]
As the zooids multiply, the colony expands outward, often anchoring itself to submerged tree branches, dock pilings, rocks, or ropes. The jelly core is actually about 99% water, which gives it that firm, translucent, brain-like appearance when it is pulled out of the lake. The delicate, dark rosettes or patterns you see covering the surface are the actual clusters of living zooids.
How Do They Live and Eat?
Bryozoans are passive filter feeders, meaning they act as the lake’s natural water purification system.
