Records of freshwater Bryozoa in Mula Dam of Ahmednagar District, Maharashtra, India.

Abstract

The Bryozoa are also known as polyzoa, ectoprocta or commonly as moss animals. Bryozoans are important in water quality monitoring and palaeolimnological research and for controlling their growth as fowlers. Present paper reports for the first time the occurrence of two bryozoan species namely. Asajirella gelatinosa and Lophopodella carteri in Mula dam, Ahmednagar. The species were identified by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images of Statoblasts (encapsulated bud produced asexually by bryozoans) and colony morphology. Study on diversity of fresh water bryozoans may help to understand its role in food chain of freshwater ecosystem.