Zooid
single animal that is part of a colonial animal
A zooid is a term for a small individual animal, part of a marine colony. The zooids in a colony are usually clones, and may be cytoplasmically connected. Though genetically identical, the zooids in a colony may serve different functions. This is the same as would be the case with a normal metazoan animal, but in a zooid colony the members are more like individuals.
The word is pronounced zō-oid, not like zoo. Some examples:
- Individual members of a bryozoan colony.
- Individual members of a living coral.
- Individual members of a Portuguese Man o' War.
