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Description
Stone mosses are classified as a separate kingdom of multicellular organisms that are formed by the symbiosis of three different microorganisms living together with an intensive cooperation: the photosynthetic type, netting type and shellbuilding type. The photosynthetic type produces the food by a brown photoreactive pigment. This type got lost in several stone moss lineages that switched to heterotrophy and are especially prevalent in terrestrial settings. The netting type functions as a transport of nutrients, gathering and distributing organic and inorganic compounds from the surroundings. Depending on lifestyle, this type can become heavily derived and is the main feeder in heterotrophic groups as well as the stabilizer in groups that lost the shellbuilding type. The shellbuilding type provides the structure the colony lives in, usually formed from silicates, which gave the stone mosses its name. On rare occasions the structures are made from other materials or can be completely absent. Stone mosses without support structures either lost the shellbuilding type or the type took up a new function, like nutrient storage or the production of chemicals.
The Cliffcombs are one of the most common stone mosses found on rocks in the shallow seas, where they incrustate in a honeycomb-like shape. Their netting type produces green, bulbous sporangia on the points where three or more units meet and exchange of the microorganisms takes place. The sporangia contain heavy, sticky spores that get distributed by small marine grazers. The spores are capable of movement and will follow a certain chemical the colonies produce to the point where another chemical repels them. With this system, the distance of a spore's settling point from a colony is determined, which also results in the rather symmetric growing pattern of the single units.

Description
Stone mosses are classified as a separate kingdom of multicellular organisms that are formed by the symbiosis of three different microorganisms living together with an intensive cooperation: the photosynthetic type, netting type and shellbuilding type. The photosynthetic type produces the food by a brown photoreactive pigment. This type got lost in several stone moss lineages that switched to heterotrophy and are especially prevalent in terrestrial settings. The netting type functions as a transport of nutrients, gathering and distributing organic and inorganic compounds from the surroundings. Depending on lifestyle, this type can become heavily derived and is the main feeder in heterotrophic groups as well as the stabilizer in groups that lost the shellbuilding type. The shellbuilding type provides the structure the colony lives in, usually formed from silicates, which gave the stone mosses its name. On rare occasions the structures are made from other materials or can be completely absent. Stone mosses without support structures either lost the shellbuilding type or the type took up a new function, like nutrient storage or the production of chemicals.
The Cliffcombs are one of the most common stone mosses found on rocks in the shallow seas, where they incrustate in a honeycomb-like shape. Their netting type produces green, bulbous sporangia on the points where three or more units meet and exchange of the microorganisms takes place. The sporangia contain heavy, sticky spores that get distributed by small marine grazers. The spores are capable of movement and will follow a certain chemical the colonies produce to the point where another chemical repels them. With this system, the distance of a spore's settling point from a colony is determined, which also results in the rather symmetric growing pattern of the single units.