bryozoanlike

Bryozoanlike is an informal descriptive term used in biology and paleontology to refer to organisms or fossil colonies that resemble bryozoans in their colonial architecture or feeding mode but are not confidently assigned to the bryozoan group (ectoprocts). The term emphasizes morphology rather than taxonomy and is used when diagnostic bryozoan features are absent or ambiguous.

In living contexts, bryozoanlike organisms are typically sessile, filter-feeders that form branching, sheetlike, or encrusting colonies. Their colonies may consist of modular units arranged in lattices or fan-like structures that visually mimic bryozoan colonies. In the fossil record, bryozoanlike colonies are common in marine settings and can be preserved as calcareous or phosphatic skeletons. Distinguishing true bryozoans from bryozoanlike mimics requires analysis of microstructural features and other diagnostic characters; when these are lacking, paleontologists may conservatively label the specimen bryozoanlike.

The term is particularly used for enigmatic early Paleozoic fossils and for living organisms whose relationships are uncertain. It reflects the broader theme of morphological convergence among sessile marine invertebrates and highlights the challenges of classification when skeletons are incomplete or convergent life habits complicate identification.