Author: Danielle Wright

129/150: Brittle stars know how to get around!

Posted on by Danielle Wright
Animalia: Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea: Ophiurida: Ophiactidae: Ophiopholis: Ophiopholis aculeata (Linnaeus, 1767)

The daisy or crevice brittle star, Ophiopholis aculeata, is one of many species of brittle stars that live in Canadian waters. A circumpolar species, these echinoderms are recognizable by their long, thin arms, quite distinct from their central plate. Unlike other sea stars, brittle stars do not use their tube feet for locomotion, but instead use wriggling movements of their whole arms to move. Despite being a radially symmetrical animal, brittle star locomotion is much like a bilaterally symmetrical animal – choosing a lead arm and then using paired movements of their other arms (almost like rowing) to move themselves. These arms are connected to the central disc with a ball and socket type joint – much like our shoulders, giving brittle stars an incredible amount of flexibility! #Canada150 #Biodiversity150

Specimen HUNT0053 – St. Andrews, New Brunswick – 6-Aug-2008
A daisy star, photographed in a tidepool in New Hampshire. Photo Credit: Ken-ichi Ueda goo.gl/TFimJz
Specimen image of Ophiopholis aculeata taken in 1903 by Arnold, Augusta Foote. Photo Credit: Freshwater and Marine Image Bank goo.gl/U5qr2B

Here’s the barcode sequence information for this species:

Process ID: DSPEC124-07

nucleotide sequence

AACACTATACTTTATATTTGGTGCCTGAGCAGGTACAGTAGGGACTGCCATGAGAAAAATTATACGAGTTGAACTTTCTCAGCCAGGCTCTTTAATACAAGATGATCAAGTGTATAAAGTTATGGTAACGGCCCACGCCTTCGTGATGATATTTTTTATGGTAATGCCCATAATGATAGGGGGGTTTGGCAAATGACTTGTCCCACTAATGTTAGGAGCGCCTGATATGGCTTTCCCCCGAATGAAAAAAATGAGATTTTGGCTACTACCCCCAGCTTTTATACTTCTTCTAGCTTCAGCTGCAAACGAAGGAGGAGTAGGCACTGGATGAACTGTTTATCCCCCTTTGTCAGGCCCTACCGCACATGCAGGAGGCTGCGTAGACCTCGCAATTTTTTCTCTCCACCTAGCAGGTGCATCTTCAATTATGGCCTCAATAAAATTTATTACAACTATTATAAATATGCGTAGGCCCGGCATGACCATGGATCGACTTCCGCTTTTTGTTTGATCTATTTTCTTAACAACTATATTACTACTCCTTTCTCTGCCTGTTTTAGCAGGAGCTATTACAATGCTACTAACTGATCGTAACATAAAAACAACGTTTTTTGATCCTACAGGAGGAGGAGACCCAATACTTTTCCAACATTTATTT

amino acid sequence

TLYFIFGAWAGTVGTAMSNIIRVELSQPGSLIQDDQVYNVMVTAHAFVMIFFMVMPIMIGGFGNWLVPLMLGAPDMAFPRMNNMSFWLLPPAFILLLASAANEGGVGTGWTVYPPLSGPTAHAGGCVDLAIFSLHLAGASSIMASINFITTIINMRSPGMTMDRLPLFVWSIFLTTILLLLSLPVLAGAITMLLTDRNINTTFFDPTGGGDPILFQHLF

Visual representation of DNA barcode sequence for Brittle sea star

Learn more about it’s BIN (Barcode Index Number): BOLD:AAA9003

122/150: Happy Hagfish Day!

Posted on by Danielle Wright
Animalia: Chordata: Myxini: Myxiniformes: Myxinidae: Eptatretinae: Eptatretus: Eptatretus stoutii (Lockington, 1878)

The Pacific Hagfish is a jawless fish species that has a long, eel-like body. They are boneless, with only cartilage and keratin structures and flexible enough they can tie themselves into knots – a useful tool for applying some biting force when you have no jaw! They live up to 1000 meters below the surface, and feed on the carcasses of various aquatic animals, although they can go months without food. They are most famous for their unique predator evasion method: creating bucket loads of slime. Their skin is loose, and packed with slime glands, which – when grabbed by the biting mouth of a potential predator – release copious amounts of slime proteins. These fish can produce an immense quantity of slime in seconds, which makes them slippery and clogs up the mouths, and gills, of their attackers. Unfortunately their population is thought to be declining, because of their value in Asian eel-leather markets. #HagfishDay #Canada150 #Biodiversity150

Pacific Hagfish ties itself in knots to eat and remove itself from its own slime! Photo Credit: kinskarije goo.gl/i23yAH
Pacific Hagfish curled up and resting. Photo Credit: Jeanette_bham goo.gl/m26Dgg
Specimen NEOCAL07-0004 – Bamfield Inlet, British Columbia – 13-Jun-2007. Photo Credit: Dirk Steinke & Tyler Zemlak, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics

Here’s the barcode sequence information for this species:

Process ID: TZFPA151-07

nucleotide sequence

CCTTTATCTAATTTTTGGTGCATGAGCCGGAATAATCGGAACAGCTTTAAGTGTAATTATTCGAACAGAATTAAGCCAACCAGGGCCCTTAATTAACAATGACCAACTTTATAATACAATCATCACAGCCCATGCATTCATTATAATTTTCTTCATAGTTATACCAATTATAATTGGTGGTTTTGGAAACTGACTAGTACCATTAATAATTGGTGCACCAGATATAGCATTCCCACGAATAAACAATATAAGCTTCTGACTTCTTCCCCCTTCACTCCTTCTTCTACTTTCATCTTCCATAATTAGTTCTGGTGCAGGAACTGGGTGAACTGTTTACCCACCCCTTTCAAATCATATTTCACATATAGGCCCATCAGTAGATTTAACTATTTTCTCACTACACCTAGCAGGTGTTTCTTCCATTTTAGGAGCAATCAACTTTATCACTACTATTATCAACATAAAAATACAATCAATAACCATATATCACATCCCATTATTTGTATGATCAATCCTAATCACCACAATTTTACTTCTCCTTTCCCTGCCAGTTTTAGCTGCTGCCATCACTATACTACTTACTGATCGTAATCTCAATACTACCTTTTTCGATCCTTCTGGTGGAGGAGATCCTATCCTTTATCAACACCT-

amino acid sequence

LYLIFGAWAGMIGTALSVIIRTELSQPGPLINNDQLYNTIITAHAFIMIFFMVMPIMIGGFGNWLVPLMIGAPDMAFPRMNNMSFWLLPPSLLLLLSSSMISSGAGTGWTVYPPLSNHISHMGPSVDLTIFSLHLAGVSSILGAINFITTIINMKMQSMTMYHIPLFVWSILITTILLLLSLPVLAAAITMLLTDRNLNTTFFDPSGGGDPILYQHX

Visual representation of DNA barcode sequence for Hagfish

Learn more about it’s BIN (Barcode Index Number): BOLD:AAC6695

105/150: Sea pens – not your typical corals

Posted on by Danielle Wright
Animalia: Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Pennatulacea: Pennatulidae: Pennatula: Pennatula aculeata (Danielssen, 1860)

Sea pens are colonial marine cnidarians found worldwide and normally at depths greater than 10 meters. Sea pens prefer deeper waters because they can avoid uprooting due to water turbulence. They live most of their lives in a sessile (immobile) state, however they can relocate and anchor themselves in more desirable areas where steadier streams of their food source, plankton, might be found. Continue reading “105/150: Sea pens – not your typical corals” →

35/150: A Purple Sea Urchin for Purple Day!

Posted on by Danielle Wright
animalia: Echinodermata: Echinoidea: Echinoida: Strongylocentrotidae: Strongylocentrotus: Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (Stimpson, 1857)

Today is Purple Day, a day of support for people with epilepsy. We thought we’d share a very purple creature, the Purple Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus). Continue reading “35/150: A Purple Sea Urchin for Purple Day!” →

30/150: Hail Hydra! The immortal cnidarian

Posted on by Danielle Wright
animalia: Cnidaria: Hydrozoa: Anthoathecata: Hydridae: Hydra: Hydra canadensis (Rowan, 1930)

From Marvel movies to Greek mythology, ‘Hydra’ is a familiar word referring to a many headed monster that can regenerate heads for every one cut off. It sounds far-fetched, but in fact, is exactly what the freshwater cnidarian can do. Hydra is a genus containing tubular radially symmetric organisms that are a maximum of 1 cm long. Their tentacles contain the same stinging cells (or cnidocytes) found in anemones and jellyfish, that can fire bursts of neurotoxin when triggered by prey. If Hydra are attacked they can recoil into a small gelatinous sphere to protect themselves. Hydra can reproduce both sexually and asexually, depending on environmental conditions like food abundance. Hydra have a remarkable ability to regenerate after they’ve been injured, growing new feet from head fragments, and vice versa, thanks to their bodies being composed mostly of stem cells. They also appear to be immortal; showing no signs of deteriorating with age under idealistic conditions. Definitely cool! #HailHydra #Canada150 #Biodiversity150

Specimen 08BBCNI-0002 – Waterton Lakes National Park – 8-Aug-2008 – Free Hand. Photo Credit: Alison Forde, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics
Image of a live Hydra (Hydra vulgaris). Photo Credit: Proyecto Agua goo.gl/qusius

Here’s the barcode sequence information for this species:

Process ID:  SAHYD001-10

nucleotide sequence

AACTTTATATATAATCTTTGGAGCTTTTTCTGGAATGATAGGCACTGCTTTAAGTATGTTAATTAGAATTGAACTTTCAGCACCTGGTAGAATAATAGGAGATGATCATCTATATAACGTTATAGTAACAGCTCATGCTTTTGTCATGATATTTTTTTTAGTAATGCCAGTCTTGATAGGAGGCTATGGGAACTGATTTGTTCCTATTTATATAGGAGCACCGGATATGGCTTTCCCTAGACTTAATAACCTAAGTTTTTGATTACTCCCCCCCGCATTAATCCTGCTTTTAACTTCTTCTCTAGTAGAACAAGGAGCTGGAACAGGATGGACTGTCTACCCACCTTTATCTGGTCCATTAGCTCATTCAGGAGGGTCTGTTGATTTAGCTATTTTTAGTTTACATTGTGCTGGTTTTTCTTCTATTGCAGGAGCTATAAATTTTATAACAACTATTTTCAATATGAGAACACCGGGTTTAACATTTGATAAACTTCCTCTATTTGTCTGATCAGTATTAATTACNNCATTTTTATTATTATTGTCTTTGCCTGTTTTAGCAGGAGCAATAACTATGCTTTTAACCGATAGAAATTTTAATACTACTTTTTTTGATCCTGCTGGAGGGGGTGATCCTGTATTATATCAACATTTATTT

amino acid sequence

TLYIIFGAFSGMIGTALSMLIRIELSAPGRIIGDDHLYNVIVTAHAFVMIFFLVMPVLIGGYGNWFVPIYIGAPDMAFPRLNNLSFWLLPPALILLLTSSLVEQGAGTGWTVYPPLSGPLAHSGGSVDLAIFSLHCAGFSSIAGAINFITTIFNMRTPGLTFDKLPLFVWSVLIXXFLLLLSLPVLAGAITMLLTDRNFNTTFFDPAGGGDPVLYQHLF

Visual representation of DNA barcode sequence for Hydra canadensis

Learn more about it’s BIN (Barcode Index Number): BOLD:AAN4537

Title Image: Specimen 08BBCNI-0001 – Waterton Lakes National Park – 8-Aug-2008 – Free Hand
Photo Credit: Alison Forde, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics

9/150: Fairly Shore it’s a Fairy Shrimp

Posted on by Danielle Wright
Animalia: Arthropoda: Branchiopoda : Anostraca: Branchinectida: Branchinecta: Branchinecta paludosa (O. F. Müller, 1788)

Branchinecta paludosa is a species of fairy shrimp found almost everywhere in the northern hemisphere, and one of the only four species of fairy shrimp that are freshwater inhabitants. Most species in the fairy shrimp group have several pairs of swimming legs, which they utilize to swim upside-down, and they tend to live in pools without fish! Continue reading “9/150: Fairly Shore it’s a Fairy Shrimp” →

4/150: Rainbows and Death in the Canadian Pacific

Posted on by Danielle Wright
Animalia: Echinodermata: Asteroidea: Forcipulatida : Asteriidae: Orthasterias: Orthasterias koehleri (Deloriol, 1897)

Did you see Star Wars Rogue One? Don’t worry if you missed it! Our latest member of our Canada 150 posts is a Sea Star, and it’s a rogue one; the only species in its genus! An uncommon species known as the rainbow star or red-banded star, it is found along the North American coast of the Pacific Ocean at depths of up to 250 meters. Continue reading “4/150: Rainbows and Death in the Canadian Pacific” →

A Recap

Posted on by Danielle Wright

This has been, by far, the most eventful summer I have had at BIO. My last summer here, in 2014, I was deployed on the BIObus for our trip out west and got so see some pretty amazing things, but this year has been far more jam-packed. I have been out in the field for a variety of reasons this summer. Continue reading “A Recap” →

A rare BioBlitz

Posted on by Danielle Wright

Hello everyone, today I want to tell you about my first BioBlitz! It was held at rare Charitable Research Reserve on Sunday, August 16th. I have previously visited rare to do some standardized sampling with Dan and Kareina, so I knew where we were going, but as this was my first BioBlitz I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. Our BIO collections team had been preparing almost all week for it, so I knew we’d have a ton of fun. Continue reading “A rare BioBlitz” →

The ABC’s of ABCA!

Posted on by Danielle Wright

Hello again everyone! I’m going to talk to you about the most recent trip the BIObus and her crew went on, where we had a ‘base camp’ in the Pinery, and explored a variety of management and conservation areas within the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA). Continue reading “The ABC’s of ABCA!” →