**Description:** Strange, jelly-like colonial organisms that form large, firm masses on submerged branches; they resemble translucent blobs.
**Size:** Individual colonies can range from the size of a golf ball to a watermelon.
**Identification:** Look for small, star-shaped patterns on the surface of the "blob," which are the individual tiny animals called zooids.
**Behavior:** Stationary filter feeders that strain microscopic algae from the water. Their presence is a sign of high water quality and productivity.
**Habitat:** Warm, clear waters of reservoir coves and slow-moving river pools.