First record of freshwater bryozoans (Bryozoa: Phylactolaemata) in the aquatic invertebrate fauna of Serbia

Abstract Species of freshwater bryozoans are newly recognized in the fauna of aquatic invertebrates in Serbia. This first record includes a total of five species of class Phylactolaemata found at eight localities during limnological investigations in the period from 2002 to 2006. Four species are assigned to family Plumatellidae ( Plumatella casmiana , P. emarginata , P. geimermassardi and Hyalinella punctata ). Family Cristatellidae is represented by one species ( Cristatella mucedo ). The freshwater bryozoans in the form of intact colonies and especially as dormant bodies were identified to the species level. The identification was done using scanning electron microscopy, analyzing resting bodies’ morphological ultrastructure.