Introduction

Phoronids belong to the smallest lophophorate phylum, with just 2 genera and 14 living species. They are all marine, benthic tube dwellers, distributed worldwide (except the polar seas) and occur from the intertidal zone to depths of 400 m. In Canada, phoronids are found off the east and west coasts. Many are coloured bright orange, pink, green, or yellow and range in length from 1 mm to 50 cm.