Transcriptome profiling of bryozoan Fredericella sultana

Fredericella sultana is a common freshwater bryozoan and is found throughout Europe, North America, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. The colonies are attached to submerged surfaces, typically pieces of wood or tree roots. However, limited genomic resources are available for this bryozoan, which hampers investigations into molecular mechanisms. To better understand the biological foundation of F. sultana, especially the molecular mechanisms, there is a need to explore the transcriptome biology of F. sultana, the most common primary host for the myxozoan parasite Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae. This study demonstrates first biological aspects of F. sultana and provides the most comprehensive transcriptomic resource and characteristics for F. sultana.