What is Colony (biology)?
[[File:Portuguese Man-O-War (Physalia physalis).jpg|thumb|The [[Portuguese man o' war|Portuguese Man o'War]] is a colony of four simpler animals, called [[zooid|zooids]]]] [[File:Tunicate off Atauro island.jpg|thumb|A colony of pelagic salp]] A '''colony''' in [[biology]] refers to a life-style or [[wikt:habit|habit]] where members of the same [[species]] live together. Usually the members of a colony are [[genetics|genetically]] linked by common [[heredity]]. Sometimes, as in [[bryozoa]], they are genetically identical [[clone]]s, sometimes as in [[eusociality]], they are members of an extended family. Sometimes, as with the [[Portuguese Man o' War]], the members of the colony are joined together as one individual, which operates as a single unit. Most of the colonies in the groups listed below build a common structure or [[nest]]. Sometimes they are linked only by their [[behaviour]]. The close integration of [[termite]]s, [[ant]]s, [[bee]]s and [[wasp]]s is called [[eusocial]]. The term applies mostly to [[animals]], though there are some [[protist]]s and [[prokaryote]]s which live as colonies. == Groups with colonial species == *[[Bryozoa]] *[[Choanoflagellata]] *[[Cnidaria]] **[[Coral]]s **[[Portuguese Man o' War]] *[[Entoprocta]] *[[Hemichordata#Graptolite|Graptolites]]{{Broken anchor|date=2024-04-28|bot=User:Cewbot/log/20201008/configuration|target_link=Hemichordata#Graptolite|reason= }} *[[Insecta]] **[[Isoptera]] **[[Hymenoptera]] ***[[Ant]]s ***[[Bee]]s ***[[Wasp]]s *[[Phoronida]] *[[Sponge]]s *[[Tunicate]]s [[Category:Zoology]]