The Adeonellidae is a family within the

bryozoa Bryozoa (also known as the Polyzoa, Ectoprocta or commonly as moss animals) are a phylum of simple, aquatic animal, aquatic invertebrate animals, nearly all living in sedentary Colony (biology), colonies. Typically about long, they have a spe ...

n order

Cheilostomatida Cheilostomatida, also called Cheilostomata, is an order of Bryozoa in the class Gymnolaemata. They are exclusively marine, colonial invertebrate animals. Cheilostome colonies are composed of calcium carbonate and grow on a variety of surfaces, ...

. Colonies are often upright bilaminar branches or sheets. The zooids generally have one or more adventitious avicularia on their frontal wall. Instead of ovicells the adeonids often possess enlarged polymorphs which

brood Brood may refer to: Nature * Brood, a collective term for offspring * Brooding, the incubation of bird eggs by their parents * Bee brood, the young of a beehive * Individual broods of North American periodical cicadas: ** Brood X, the largest br ...

the

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e internally. The apparent similarity in characters to the family

Adeonidae The Adeonidae is a family within the bryozoan order Cheilostomatida. Colonies are often upright bilaminar branches or sheets, perforated by large holes in some species (e.g. '' Adeona cellulosa''). The zooids generally have one or more adventiti ...

can make their separation debatable. As of October 2023 the family is unaccepted on the World Register of Marine Species and is considered a synonym of Adeonidae Busk, 1884. Bock, P. (2023). World List of Bryozoa. Adeonellidae Gregory, 1893. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=466587 on 2023-10-21

References

Bryozoan families Cheilostomatida Extant Eocene first appearances {{bryozoan-stub