The word 'colonial' needs more explanation. It is applied to types of animals which reproduce (among other ways) by budding new parts asexually from the original animal. These new additions contain functioning individuals, capable of feeding independently, yet remaining attached to the rest of the the animal. Colonial animals include corals and hydroids, ascidians, graptolites and pterobranchs as well as bryozoans. Additionally, there is debate about coloniality in sponges. Bryozoan colonies have a superficial similarity with corals, but the anatomy of the bryozoan animal is much more complex.
The entire complex is called a 'colony'; the individual functional units can be called 'zooids', although 'polyp' is used for coral individuals, and 'theca' in the case of graptolites.
The Recent and Fossil Bryozoa website, developed and maintained by Philip Bock, contains:
Furthermore, the website provides links to other websites on Bryozoa, a link to the International Bryozoology Association (IBA) website, links to IBA conferences, a glossary for the Bryozoa, a list with links to relevant journals, etc. The Recent and Fossil Bryozoa Database provides taxonomic information to the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS).