120/150: Nematodes, one of the most abundant organisms on Earth

Animalia: Nematoda: Chromadorea: Rhabditida (Diesing, 1861)

Nematodes, aka roundworms, are extremely successful organisms that have adapted to almost every ecosystem; including polar regions, soils, as well as the inside of other organisms (you and me!). Nematodes represent 90% of all animals on the ocean floor and have been found at depths of over 3 km below the surface of the Earth in gold mines. A newly discovered parasitic nematode is found to induce fruit mimicry in ants. Infected ants will develop bright red, swollen gasters and move more sluggishly, causing the ants abdomen to resemble a berry. This confuses frugivorous birds who will then ingest the parasites. Not only are nematodes important to many ecosystems, nematodes have also contributed extensively in medical research. Because of their simple anatomy, optical transparency and short lifespan, nematodes have become a model used to study neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. #Canada150 #Biodiversity150

Here’s the barcode sequence information for this species:

Process ID: ENCHU013-10

nucleotide sequence

TACATTATACTTTATTTTTGGTTTATGATCAGGAATAGTAGGTACTAGTTTATCTTTAATTATTCGTTTAGAATTAGCAAAACCAGGATTATTTTTAGGTAATGGTCAATTATATAATTCTATTATTACAGCTCATGCTATTTTAATAATTTTTTTTATAGTAATACCTAGAATAATTGGTGGTTTTGGTAATTGAATATTACCATTAATGTTAGGAGCACCAGATATGAGTTTCCCACGTTTAAATAATTTAAGTTTTTGATTATTACCAACAGCTATGTTGTTAATTTTAGATTCTAGTTTTGTTGATATGGGTTGTGGAACTAGTTGAACAGTTTATCCACCATTA—AGAACATTAGGTCATCCGGGAAGAAGTGTAGATTTAGCAATTTTTAGTTTACACTGTGCTGGTTTAAGATCTATTTTAGGTGGTATTAATTTTATATGTACAACAAAAAATTTACGTAGTAGTTCTATTTCTTTAGAACATATAAGGTTATTTGTTTGAACAGTATTTGTAACTGTATTTTTATTAGTTTTATCTTTACCAGTTTTAGCTGGTGCTATTACTATATTATTAACTGATCGTAATTTAAATACTTCATTTTTTGATCCAAGAACAGGTGGAAATCCTTTAATTTATCAACATTTATTT

amino acid sequence

TLYFIFGLWSGMVGTSLSLIIRLELAKPGLFLGNGQLYNSIITAHAILMIFFMVMPSMIGGFGNWMLPLMLGAPDMSFPRLNNLSFWLLPTAMLLILDSSFVDMGCGTSWTVYPPL-STLGHPGSSVDLAIFSLHCAGLSSILGGINFMCTTKNLRSSSISLEHMSLFVWTVFVTVFLLVLSLPVLAGAITMLLTDRNLNTSFFDPSTGGNPLIYQHLF

Learn more about it’s BIN (Barcode Index Number): BOLD:AAL8004