Photo by J. Winston, courtesy of the American Museum of Natural History. Used with permission.
Zooids are short, widening distally and tapering proximally.
Zooids measure an average of 0.33 X 0.14 mm in size, but fertile zooids tend to be shorter. Avicularia are not present in this species. Rather, there is a long pointed process on either side of the semicircular orifice. The lophophore measures approximately 0.25 mm in diameter, and bears 12 tentacles. V. contei is often confused with other bryozoan species, especially Celloporina costazii .