What is it?

• I live in the water,
• And I look like frog eggs.
• But I’m made up of squillions …
• Of tiny “zoo buds.”

Freshwater bryozoans (bry-uh-zoh-uhnz) are often mistaken for masses of frog eggs. But these spotted blobs of goo are actually colonies of microscopic critters called “zooids.” These little boogers reproduce by budding. To eat, they send their tentacles out from the blob’s edge to pull in micro-nutrients. They like warm, clean water, so you might see them in a pond or lake this summer. But don’t worry — they can’t hurt you. Learn more in the Field Guide.