Gelatinous, brain-like colonies that grow on submerged branches in lakes and rivers across Michigan. People find them and have no idea what they're looking at. We want to map where they appear, sequence their genome, and turn every startled kayaker into a citizen scientist.
Last updated: March 2026. Only a mitochondrial genome exists (from South Korea). No nuclear genome has been sequenced for this species anywhere in the world — including from its native range in North America.
P. magnifica selected for its visual impact, public engagement potential, and genomic gap. Colonies are unmistakable — anyone who sees one remembers it.
MilestoneReviewing existing Michigan sightings on iNaturalist to build a baseline distribution map. Will set up a dedicated project for community reports.
CommunityOnly a mitochondrial genome (17,539 bp) exists, sequenced from a South Korean specimen. No nuclear genome from any population, including native North American colonies. This will be a first.
DataFound a weird jelly blob in your lake or river? Report it. We're building a Michigan sighting map using community reports and iNaturalist observations. Spotted one? Take a photo, note the location, and submit through our form or tag us on iNaturalist.
Visit a confirmed colony site to collect tissue samples for DNA extraction. Learn about bryozoan biology up close — these colonies can reach the size of a basketball.
Pectinatella magnifica — the magnificent bryozoan — forms gelatinous, brain-like colonies that can grow to 60 cm (2 feet) across. Each colony is actually thousands of individual animals called zooids, bound together in a translucent, jelly-like mass with star-shaped patterns on the surface. They attach to submerged branches, rocks, and docks in lakes and slow rivers.
Despite the name "moss animal," bryozoans are not plants. Each zooid has a horseshoe-shaped crown of tentacles (a lophophore) that filters microscopic particles from the water. They reproduce in several ways: budding, sexual reproduction, and by producing hard seed-like structures called statoblasts that survive winter and disperse to new locations.
P. magnifica is native to eastern North America — including the Great Lakes region — but has spread invasively across Europe and Asia, likely transported on aquatic plants and equipment. Ironically, its genome has only been partially sequenced from an invasive population in South Korea. A nuclear genome from a native Michigan population would be the first for this species and a valuable resource for understanding both its ecology and its global spread.