The Smittinidae is a family within the bryozoa

Bryozoa

The Bryozoa, also known as Ectoprocta or commonly as moss animals, are a phylum of aquatic invertebrate animals. Typically about long, they are filter feeders that sieve food particles out of the water using a retractable lophophore, a "crown" of tentacles lined with cilia...

n order Cheilostomata

Cheilostomata

Cheilostomata, an order of Bryozoa in the class Gymnolaemata, are exclusively marine, colonial invertebrate animals. Cheilostome colonies are composed of calcium carbonate and grow on a variety of surfaces, including rocks, shells, seagrass and kelps. The colony shapes range from simple encrusting...

. Colonies are encrusting on shells and rocks or upright bilaminar branches or sheets. The zooids generally have at least one adventitious avicularia

Avicularium

The avicularium in cheilostome bryozoans is a modified, non-feeding zooid. The operculum, which normally closes the orifice when the zooids tentacles are retracted, has been modified to become a mandible. Strong muscles operate it. The polypide is greatly reduced, and the indiviual receives...

 on their frontal wall near the orifice. The frontal wall is usually covered with small pores and numerous larger pores along the margin. The ovicell, which broods the larva

Larva

A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...

e internally, is double-layered with numerous pores in the outer layer, and sits quite prominently on the frontal wall of the next zooid.

Classification

• Family Smittinidae
  • Genus Alismittina
  • Genus Aspericreta
  • Genus Dakariella
  • Genus Dengordonia
  • Genus Dittomesia
  • Genus Hemismittoidea
  • Genus Hippophylactella
  • Genus Houzeauina
  • Genus Parasmittina
  • Genus Pemmatoporella
  • Genus Phylactella
  • Genus Phylactellina
  • Genus Plagiosmittia
  • Genus Platychelyna
  • Genus Pleurocodonellina
  • Genus Porismittina
  • Genus Prenantia
  • Genus Raymondcia
  • Genus Rimulostoma
  • Genus Schismoporella
  • Genus Smittina
  • Genus Smittinella
  • Genus Smittoidea
  • Genus Thrypticocirrus
  • Genus Tracheloptyx