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Story: Sea floor

Bryozoan thicket

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Bryozoan thicket

At a depth of 100 metres on the Otago continental shelf, various species of bryozoans form dense colonies. These provide shelter and food for other animals such as this hermit crab (left) and orange sea star.

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Reference: 005165

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How to cite this page

Ashley Rowden, Sea floor – Life on the continental shelf, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/8951/bryozoan-thicket (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Ashley Rowden, published 2 March 2009.