Solitary entoprocts

Entoproct is a tiny sessile organisms of a few millimeter long. From the Ryukyus, Dr. T. Iseto, who was my graduate student, described many new species and one new genus in his thesis study. Since it is too small to find in situ, ecology of entoproct species are poorly understood.

Solitary entoproct Lxosomella plakorticola on a sponge Plakortis sp.
This entoprocts produce buds throughout the year but rarely produce gametes regardless of seasons.
Marine Ecology Progress Series, 415: 73–82, 2010.
Since the foot morphology is one of the essential key for the generic identification in the solitary entoprocts, we also study the fine structures of foot in some genera.
Journal of Morphology, 271(10): 1185–1196, 2010