Diversity of freshwater and marine bryozoans in Japan
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| Trefwoorden |
Aquatic organisms > Marine organisms > Aquatic animals > Marine invertebrates Ectoprocta [WoRMS]; Gymnolaemata [WoRMS]; Phylactolaemata [WoRMS]; Stenolaemata [WoRMS] Marien/Kust |
| Abstract |
Bryozoans comprise a phylum of clonal, modular animals that inhabit marine and freshwater environments, with more than 6000 living species described. The long latitudinal range of Japan across several climatic zones and a complex nearshore bottom topography have resulted in high bryozoan diversity, which may exceed 1000 species. Bryozoan diversity has been studied in Japan from the late nineteenth century to the present. Revisional studies of historical collections and taxonomic inventories in previously uninvestigated localities and poorly studied habitats such as the intertidal zone and deep sea will increase our knowledge of bryozoan diversity in Japanese waters. This chapter reviews the history of Japanese bryozoan research and summarizes the diversity of bryozoans in this region. |
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