Bugula neritina
| Bugula neritina | |
|---|---|
 |
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| The nudibranch Diaphorodoris papillata Portmann & Sandmeier, 1960 feeding on Bugula neritina (Linnaeus, 1758) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Bryozoa |
| Class: | Gymnolaemata |
| Order: | Cheilostomata |
| Family: | Bugulidae |
| Genus: | Bugula |
| Species: | B. neritina |
| Binomial name | |
|
Bugula neritina (Linnaeus, 1758) |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Sertularia neritina Linnaeus, 1758 (basionym) |
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Sertularia neritina Linnaeus, 1758 (basionym)
Bugula neritina (commonly known as brown bryozoan or common bugula) is a cryptic species complex of sessile marine animal in the Bugula genus.
It is invasive with a cosmopolitan distribution.
Bugula neritina is of interest from a drug discovery perspective because it produces the bryostatins, a group of around twenty bioactive natural products. The bryostatins are under investigation as possible therapies for cancer and Alzheimer's disease.
Bugula neritina is also of interest in materials science, where it is used as a model organism in biofouling studies.
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Wikipedia