Barentsia

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Barentsia
Barentsia laxa 1498966.png
Barentsia laxa
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Entoprocta
Family: Barentsiidae
Genus: Barentsia
Hincks, 1880

Barentsia is a genus of Entoprocta belonging to the family Barentsiidae. [1] They are sessile colonial organisms composed of many individual cup shaped "heads" at the end of long thin stalks, ringed with small cilia. Like all members of Entoprocta (lit. 'inside rectum/anus'), both their mouth and anus are found in at the end of their stalks. The genus was first described in 1880.

Contents

They feed primarily on phytoplankton and reproduce both asexually by budding off at the stolon, as well as sexually between individual hermaphroditic zooids. [2]

Physical Description

Barentsia have a "crown" of 10-20 cilia, [2] which they use to filter water towards their mouths, around their central calyx, or bulb, at the end of their thin, unbranching stalks. The cilia cannot retract, but instead fold down across the centre of the calyx. The stalks have a singular, muscular attachment at their base, which they use to "flick" themselves back and forth. The individual zooids are connected by horizontal stolons. [3]

An individual zooid, showing the calyx and cilia Barentsia laxa 1498941.png
An individual zooid, showing the calyx and cilia

Species

Species: [1]

References

  1. 1 2 "Barentsia Hincks, 1880". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Barentsia benedini". invasions.si.edu. Retrieved 2025-12-30.
  3. ↑ "Barentsia robusta". inverts.wallawalla.edu. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
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