It’s not an alien from here to take over the world (that we know) or some science experiment gone awry. This gelatinous blob is an invertebrate called a bryozoan, specifically the species Pectinatella magnifica. It was spotted in Lake Huron by the Alpena Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office in Michigan and likened to a “cursed gummy bear.”
According to the United States Fish & Wildlife Service, these gnarly-looking blobs are no larger than 4 millimeters (or 5/32 of an inch) wide. Their bodies are made up of calcium carbonate and chitin, the same material that forms crab shells. Bryozoans are found in both marine and freshwater habitats around the world, including lakes, ponds, and kelp beds.
In their watery homes, they feast on bacteria, diatoms, and other small invertebrates. Bryozoans use a unique feeding structure called a lophophore to eat these small creatures. According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the lophophore is a U-shaped or circular ring of ciliated tentacles that they use to filter food. They extend a crown of tentacles above its shell and then flicks the tentacles through the water to catch little bits of food.
They generally float alone for a time before forming colonies that work together for a mutual benefit. They are somewhat like coral, except instead of building sturdy structures that last for long periods of time, bryozoan structures are far more fragile.
“These ancient creatures breathe life into freshwater, capturing plankton and cleaning the water as they drift in slow-moving rivers and lakes,” the USFWS wrote. “Some colonies grow over a foot wide, pulsing gently with the current, a secret world hidden in plain sight.”
During the colder winter months, bryozoans release statoblasts. These microscopic pods are expert survivalists that can withstand drying out, freezing, and even time. They remain dormant like Sleeping Beauty herself and awaken only when the conditions are right. Once the temperature rises enough, they will awaken and build new colonies.
Pectinatella magnifica is the most common bryozoan in the United States, but there are 4,000 known species around the world.
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