30/150: Hail Hydra! The immortal cnidarian

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

Here’s the barcode sequence information for this species:

Process ID:  SAHYD001-10

nucleotide sequence

AACTTTATATATAATCTTTGGAGCTTTTTCTGGAATGATAGGCACTGCTTTAAGTATGTTAATTAGAATTGAACTTTCAGCACCTGGTAGAATAATAGGAGATGATCATCTATATAACGTTATAGTAACAGCTCATGCTTTTGTCATGATATTTTTTTTAGTAATGCCAGTCTTGATAGGAGGCTATGGGAACTGATTTGTTCCTATTTATATAGGAGCACCGGATATGGCTTTCCCTAGACTTAATAACCTAAGTTTTTGATTACTCCCCCCCGCATTAATCCTGCTTTTAACTTCTTCTCTAGTAGAACAAGGAGCTGGAACAGGATGGACTGTCTACCCACCTTTATCTGGTCCATTAGCTCATTCAGGAGGGTCTGTTGATTTAGCTATTTTTAGTTTACATTGTGCTGGTTTTTCTTCTATTGCAGGAGCTATAAATTTTATAACAACTATTTTCAATATGAGAACACCGGGTTTAACATTTGATAAACTTCCTCTATTTGTCTGATCAGTATTAATTACNNCATTTTTATTATTATTGTCTTTGCCTGTTTTAGCAGGAGCAATAACTATGCTTTTAACCGATAGAAATTTTAATACTACTTTTTTTGATCCTGCTGGAGGGGGTGATCCTGTATTATATCAACATTTATTT

amino acid sequence

TLYIIFGAFSGMIGTALSMLIRIELSAPGRIIGDDHLYNVIVTAHAFVMIFFLVMPVLIGGYGNWFVPIYIGAPDMAFPRLNNLSFWLLPPALILLLTSSLVEQGAGTGWTVYPPLSGPLAHSGGSVDLAIFSLHCAGFSSIAGAINFITTIFNMRTPGLTFDKLPLFVWSVLIXXFLLLLSLPVLAGAITMLLTDRNFNTTFFDPAGGGDPVLYQHLF

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