moss animal

American  

noun

1. bryozoan.

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Etymology

Origin of moss animal

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Species diversity plummeted, and certain creatures, such as tiny, colonial “moss animals,” came to dominate the seafloor.

From Science Magazine

Even though it has become dominant, previous research shows that this moss animal has also suffered, with a decline in lifespan over the course of the study.

From BBC

These organisms, commonly called “moss animals,” often live in colonies, encrusting large rocks.

From Newsweek

When they’re young, sheepshead fish will eat marine worms, bryozoan ‘moss animals’ and pretty much anything soft-bodied they can catch in the seagrasses.

From Scientific American

True, but these beautiful, transparent moss animals have to get their living by catching creatures so small that you cannot see them.

From Project Gutenberg