Repost for #FluorescenceFriday and more #Hype4Hydrozoa
🟡 = developing or newly matured stinging cells in tentacles of a feeding polyp from a colony of ‘hermit crab fur’ or Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus
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Graphical abstract for Klompen et al 2026.
🪼New #Hype4Hydrozoa paper 🪼
We generated a whole nematocyst-enriched proteome using FAC-sorted cells from our Hydractinia stinging cell reporter line! We identified over 8,000 proteins, including toxins, showcasing Hydractinia as a venom system model.
doi.org/10.1016/j.to...
Warm weather is reminding me that freshwater jellyfish (Craspedacusta sowerbii) bloom season may be starting soon in the Midwest….
#ToxinTuesday #Hype4Hydrozoa
#MidwestJellyfish
Here's some underwater Christmas trees🎄 to brighten up your day. #Hydrozoa #Hype4Hydrozoa.
Confocal image of the tentacles in a stinging cell transgenic of Hydractinia (hermit crab fur hydroid). Bright yellow indicates either a developing or matured stinging cell. Images acquired at the Stowers Institute.
Yesterday was my third “Dr. Day” anniversary, and I got to celebrate by submitting one of the last projects I worked on with @pcart.bsky.social @ku-eeb.bsky.social and finished up @stowersinstitute.bsky.social. I’m excited when I get to share! A hint, it is #Hype4Hydrozoa!
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Major #Hype4Hydrozoa! 🪼
A little snail fur hydroid (Hydractinia) close up for #ToxinTuesday. This female colony has tons of eggs developing across multiple reproductive polyps (called gonozooids).
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#Hype4Hydrozoa
@stowersinstitute.bsky.social
@sicb-diz.bsky.social
I was lucky to also have an opportunity to talk about my research on jellyfish venoms 🪼and sea anemone stinging cells 🪸 for “Science over Spirits” with a wonderful group, sharing how my basic research has lead to unexpected discoveries.
#Hype4Hydrozoa #StunningStella
@stowersinstitute.bsky.social
#Hype4Hydrozoa @gelatinoussting.bsky.social
Upper arm tattoo of red eye jellyfish (Polyorchis penicillatus). Mostly black outline with blue watercolor streaks.
Upper arm tattoo of egg yolk jellyfish (Phacellophora sp.) eating a moon jellyfish (Aurelia sp.). Three moon jellyfish also “swimming” below.
Tattoo of two fired jellyfish stinging structures (nematocysts).
Tattoo of hermit crab, black and white outline, with pink-red fuzz on the shell, representing the hydroids that live in the shell.
Same artist over multiple years (with a few more not shown).
I research jellyfish venom systems, and my graduate work was on colonial hydroids that live on hermit crabs.
#Hype4Hydrozoa #SciArt
Beautiful indeed!
#Hype4Hydrozoa
Image through microscope of edge of microscope slide focused on single polyp in snail fur hydroid (Hydractinia) colony with a red fluorescence filter. Individuals red “spots” on the animal are developing or newly mature stinging cells. Two out of focus polyps are in the background, slide appears completely red from colony tissue.
Close up from microscope of single polyp from Hydractinia colony with a red fluorescence filter. Individual red spots on the animal are developing or newly mature stinging cells. The highest concentration (appears bright red) are on the tentacles.
This snail fur hydroid (Hydractinia) reporter line shows developing and newly mature stinging cells in red, which are found all over the body (and colony). This polyp just ate a brine shrimp roughly its size, but still seems perfectly ready to sting again.
#Hype4Hydrozoa
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Ready for a new #Antarctic adventure on board BIO Hesperides @csic.es . During the next 6 weeks, we'll be looking for (bi)polar #jellyfish🪼 and #polyps🪸 for project Pole2Pole + the Invertebrate Collections🦀🐚🦑🪱 of the University Museum of Bergen, @UiB. #Hype4Hydrozoa
Hydroid colonies resembling Christmas trees with ascidians at their base.
Hydroid colonies resembling christmas trees with ascidians at their base.
For those feeling Christmassy🎅, here's some aglaopheniid hydroids🎄 with ascidians and corals at their base. Looks like someone in the reef will have lots of gifts 🎁 this year. #Hype4Hydrozoa
Upper arm tattoo of a bell jellyfish, black outline with red dots along the edge of the bell to represent the red “eyes”. Jelly is “swimming” in blue and purple waves.
This jelly would later be the inspiration for my first #SciTattoo
#Hype4Hydrozoa
Remembering when I caught this beautiful red-eye or bell jelly (Polyorchis penicillatus) at Friday Harbor Labs while on my paddle board (in a ziplock I conveniently carried).
Older medusae like this one tend to have green algae growing on their bell. Polyp remains unknown.
#Hype4Hydrozoa
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#Hype4Hydrozoa! So glad y’all made a connection!
Cladonema are small (~2-3mm) hydrozoan jellyfish that are often considered “pests” in saltwater tanks! The little bumps on their tentacles are concentrated clusters of nematocyst (stinging cell) “batteries” that may help these ambush predators catch larger prey!
#Hype4Hydrozoa
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Black outline tattoo of two different fired stinging cells.
Upper arm tattoo of a large egg yolk jelly eating a moon jelly, and three moon jellies swimming below.
Upper arm tattoo of a red eyed or bell jellyfish “swimming” in blue and purple waves.
I really like yours! Here are a few of my jellies and some stinging cells. #Hype4Hydrozoa
Love the #Hype4Hydrozoa for this lovely jelly!
This red eye jelly (Polyorchis penicillatus) is thought to be an ambush predator. The jelly will spread out its tentacles and slowly sink in the water (“sink fishing”), ensnaring any unsuspecting arthropod below.
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#MedusozoaMadness
Red eye jellyfish in a glass dish with a window backdrop. The bell is fairly transparent and covered in light green due to algae growing on the outside. The 60-80 tentacles are spread all around the bell as the jelly is slowly sinking.
“True” jellies: ~200 species
Box jellies: ~50 species
Stalked jellies: ~50 species
If you know me I am always #Hype4Hydrozoa, and lucky me Hydrozoa or “water animals” includes over 3500 species to get excited about, spanning from freshwater to the deep ocean!
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#MedusozoaMadness
Close-up under microscope of hermit crab with white-ish polyps on shell.
New year, new projects, still #Hype4Hydrozoa for snail fur hydroids 🪼🧪🪼
📷 Hermit crab with Hydractinia colony on shell. PC: Me
