Ectoprocta
Phylactolaemata
Stenolaemata
Gymnolaemata
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The
Ectoprocta are a
phylum of
lophophorate animals. They were formerly placed in the
Bryozoa phylum with the
Entoprocta, which they superficially resemble.
Generally, the members of the ectoprocta phylum are colonial
aquatic animals (also known as moss animals). Although the individual members are
microscopic,
colonies can grow up to one foot in length. They can
reproduce both sexually and asexually. The Ectoprocta are one of the few classical phyla from which no members have been found in the
Cambrian. They seem to have evolved in the
Ordovician. Currently, there are about 5,000 living
species in this phylum.
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