Malacostegina Temporal range:
| |
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Electra posidoniae on Posidonia oceanica, Sardinia, Italy | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Bryozoa |
Class: | Gymnolaemata |
Order: | Cheilostomatida |
Suborder: | Malacostegina Levinsen, 1902 |
Malacostegina is a sub-order of marine, colonial bryozoans in the order Cheilostomatida.[1] The structure of the individual zooids is generally simple, with an uncalcified, flexible frontal wall. This sub-order includes the earliest known cheilostome, in the genus Pyriporopsis (Electridae).
The genus Christinella is currently incertae sedis within the Malacostegina.[2]