✨️Learned Something New✨️
Snailfur is the common name for sightings of Hydractinia echinata colonies on the shells of dead gastropods that hermits will frequently claim as their own.
Snailfur is the common name for sightings of Hydractinia echinata colonies on the shells of dead gastropods that hermits will frequently claim as their own.
A small Black Eyed Hermit hanging out on the sand. Wonder what that pink coating is on it's back? Turns out it's a colonial marine organism commonly known as "snail fur" made of colonies of specialized hydrozoan polyps. They form a mutualistic symbiotic relationship!
📍Junkyard
#marinelife
📍Junkyard
#marinelife
October 10, 2026 at 6:45 PM
✨️Learned Something New✨️
Snailfur is the common name for sightings of Hydractinia echinata colonies on the shells of dead gastropods that hermits will frequently claim as their own.
Snailfur is the common name for sightings of Hydractinia echinata colonies on the shells of dead gastropods that hermits will frequently claim as their own.
Why are the iNaturalist and Wikipedia pages for Hydractinia echinata the same?
www.inaturalist.org/taxa/203796-...
www.inaturalist.org/taxa/203796-...
Snail Fur (Hydractinia echinata)
Hydractinia echinata is a colonial marine hydroid which is often found growing on dead, hermit-crabbed shells of marine gastropod species. This hydroid species is also commonly known as snail fur, a n...
www.inaturalist.org
October 10, 2026 at 6:45 PM
Why are the iNaturalist and Wikipedia pages for Hydractinia echinata the same?
www.inaturalist.org/taxa/203796-...
www.inaturalist.org/taxa/203796-...
At the Jersey shore this week spending some quality time with family, and was stoked to find some Hydractinia while beach combing near the bridge from Longport to Ocean City! Looking forward to sharing recent work on the population genomics of these critters at @cnidofest.bsky.social next month 🪸🐚🪼
August 24, 2026 at 6:48 PM
At the Jersey shore this week spending some quality time with family, and was stoked to find some Hydractinia while beach combing near the bridge from Longport to Ocean City! Looking forward to sharing recent work on the population genomics of these critters at @cnidofest.bsky.social next month 🪸🐚🪼
TIL of "snail fur," a hydroid adapted to live on snail shells occupied by hermit crabs. Life is just a turducken (hydrosnailcrab?) of symbiosis all the way down. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydractinia_echinata
Hydractinia echinata - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
February 24, 2026 at 7:08 PM
TIL of "snail fur," a hydroid adapted to live on snail shells occupied by hermit crabs. Life is just a turducken (hydrosnailcrab?) of symbiosis all the way down. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydractinia_echinata
Meet the colonial #hydroid Schuchertinia milleri, aka Miller hydractinia, hedgehog hydroid, or (my fave) snail fur. It ranges from Vancouver Island down to Monterey Bay. I've only spotted it a few times while #tidepooling, and it's a treat every time!
January 5, 2025 at 5:27 AM
Meet the colonial #hydroid Schuchertinia milleri, aka Miller hydractinia, hedgehog hydroid, or (my fave) snail fur. It ranges from Vancouver Island down to Monterey Bay. I've only spotted it a few times while #tidepooling, and it's a treat every time!
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
🧪🪼🧪
🟡 = developing or newly matured stinging cells in tentacles of a feeding polyp from a colony of ‘hermit crab fur’ or Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus
🧪🪼🧪
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!
🧪🪼🧪
🧪🪼🧪
March 20, 2026 at 10:11 PM
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
🧪🪼🧪
🟡 = developing or newly matured stinging cells in tentacles of a feeding polyp from a colony of ‘hermit crab fur’ or Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus
🧪🪼🧪
With this nematocyst-enriched proteome, we excitingly have all the major ‘omics datasets to explore the venom system of Hydractinia from genes to proteins.
My goal is to use these resources in a comparative “venomics” approach with functional systems like Nematostella in my future research program!
My goal is to use these resources in a comparative “venomics” approach with functional systems like Nematostella in my future research program!
February 25, 2026 at 4:20 PM
With this nematocyst-enriched proteome, we excitingly have all the major ‘omics datasets to explore the venom system of Hydractinia from genes to proteins.
My goal is to use these resources in a comparative “venomics” approach with functional systems like Nematostella in my future research program!
My goal is to use these resources in a comparative “venomics” approach with functional systems like Nematostella in my future research program!
We compared our proteome to our nematocyst-enriched transcriptome from 2022 and my previous venom annotations, and found both high overlap with our RNAseq assembly and multiple matches to putative toxins. This represents some of the first protein-based validations of venoms in Hydractinia!
February 25, 2026 at 4:20 PM
We compared our proteome to our nematocyst-enriched transcriptome from 2022 and my previous venom annotations, and found both high overlap with our RNAseq assembly and multiple matches to putative toxins. This represents some of the first protein-based validations of venoms in Hydractinia!
🪼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...
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...
February 25, 2026 at 4:20 PM
🪼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...
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...
Always going to promote a hydrozoan!
Zyzzyzus rubusidaeus
Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus (or H echinata)
Olindias sambaquiensis
Sarsia sp.
Zyzzyzus rubusidaeus
Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus (or H echinata)
Olindias sambaquiensis
Sarsia sp.
December 6, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Always going to promote a hydrozoan!
Zyzzyzus rubusidaeus
Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus (or H echinata)
Olindias sambaquiensis
Sarsia sp.
Zyzzyzus rubusidaeus
Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus (or H echinata)
Olindias sambaquiensis
Sarsia sp.
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!
🧪🪼🧪
🧪🪼🧪
November 15, 2025 at 3:35 PM
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!
🧪🪼🧪
🧪🪼🧪
This is Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus, a lab strain we have had for a while. Polyp color certainly go between white to “bright” pink depending on last feed, but egg color is pretty consistent. I have to look back at some pics of other species to see how much egg color might vary.
August 5, 2025 at 9:11 PM
This is Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus, a lab strain we have had for a while. Polyp color certainly go between white to “bright” pink depending on last feed, but egg color is pretty consistent. I have to look back at some pics of other species to see how much egg color might vary.
A little snail fur hydroid (Hydractinia) close up for #ToxinTuesday. This female colony has tons of eggs developing across multiple reproductive polyps (called gonozooids).
🪼🧪🪼
#Hype4Hydrozoa
@stowersinstitute.bsky.social
@sicb-diz.bsky.social
🪼🧪🪼
#Hype4Hydrozoa
@stowersinstitute.bsky.social
@sicb-diz.bsky.social
August 5, 2025 at 8:39 PM
A little snail fur hydroid (Hydractinia) close up for #ToxinTuesday. This female colony has tons of eggs developing across multiple reproductive polyps (called gonozooids).
🪼🧪🪼
#Hype4Hydrozoa
@stowersinstitute.bsky.social
@sicb-diz.bsky.social
🪼🧪🪼
#Hype4Hydrozoa
@stowersinstitute.bsky.social
@sicb-diz.bsky.social
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
🪼🧪🪼
#Hype4Hydrozoa
🪼🧪🪼
February 5, 2025 at 4:10 PM
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
🪼🧪🪼
#Hype4Hydrozoa
🪼🧪🪼
New year, new projects, still #Hype4Hydrozoa for snail fur hydroids 🪼🧪🪼
📷 Hermit crab with Hydractinia colony on shell. PC: Me
📷 Hermit crab with Hydractinia colony on shell. PC: Me
January 1, 2024 at 7:58 PM
New year, new projects, still #Hype4Hydrozoa for snail fur hydroids 🪼🧪🪼
📷 Hermit crab with Hydractinia colony on shell. PC: Me
📷 Hermit crab with Hydractinia colony on shell. PC: Me
Hi! I’m an evolutionary biologist studying the venom systems of cnidarians, with a particular love for jellies and hydroids.
Currently I am an NSF post doc studying how stinging cells get made using scRNAseq, proteomic, and functional genomic approaches.
🧪🪼🪸
Currently I am an NSF post doc studying how stinging cells get made using scRNAseq, proteomic, and functional genomic approaches.
🧪🪼🪸
October 1, 2023 at 10:41 PM
Hi! I’m an evolutionary biologist studying the venom systems of cnidarians, with a particular love for jellies and hydroids.
Currently I am an NSF post doc studying how stinging cells get made using scRNAseq, proteomic, and functional genomic approaches.
🧪🪼🪸
Currently I am an NSF post doc studying how stinging cells get made using scRNAseq, proteomic, and functional genomic approaches.
🧪🪼🪸
The Hydractinia cell atlas reveals cellular and molecular principles of cnidarian coloniality https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.18.599157v1
The Hydractinia cell atlas reveals cellular and molecular principles of cnidarian coloniality https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.18.599157v1
Coloniality is a widespread growth form in cnidarians, tunicates, and bryozoans, among others. Despi
www.biorxiv.org
June 19, 2024 at 3:04 PM
The Hydractinia cell atlas reveals cellular and molecular principles of cnidarian coloniality https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.18.599157v1
Expansion of a single Helitron subfamily in Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus suggests a shared mechanism of cnidarian chromosomal extension https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.21.624632v1
Expansion of a single Helitron subfamily in Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus suggests a shared mechanism of cnidarian chromosomal extension https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.21.624632v1
Helitrons are rolling-circle transposons that amplify through rolling-circle replication mechanism.
www.biorxiv.org
November 21, 2024 at 6:34 PM
Expansion of a single Helitron subfamily in Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus suggests a shared mechanism of cnidarian chromosomal extension https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.21.624632v1
The genome of the colonial hydroid Hydractinia reveals their stem cells use a toolkit of genes shared with all animals https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.25.554815v1
August 28, 2023 at 3:38 AM
The genome of the colonial hydroid Hydractinia reveals their stem cells use a toolkit of genes shared with all animals https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.25.554815v1
🪸Tricky Taxon Thursday: Hydractinia echinata 🪸
Hermit crab fur is a colonial hydroid, a spiky mat on hermit crabs shells. It sprouts 3 polyp types: Tentacled feeding polyps, Gonozoids for larva production, Stinging defensive polyps. Larvae can sense and crawl to active shells.
See all records 👇
Hermit crab fur is a colonial hydroid, a spiky mat on hermit crabs shells. It sprouts 3 polyp types: Tentacled feeding polyps, Gonozoids for larva production, Stinging defensive polyps. Larvae can sense and crawl to active shells.
See all records 👇
DASSH - DASSH Mapper : Retrieve Data : Data : Home
Use the map tools to create a bounding box to query with...
www.dassh.ac.uk
January 22, 2026 at 1:03 PM
🪸Tricky Taxon Thursday: Hydractinia echinata 🪸
Hermit crab fur is a colonial hydroid, a spiky mat on hermit crabs shells. It sprouts 3 polyp types: Tentacled feeding polyps, Gonozoids for larva production, Stinging defensive polyps. Larvae can sense and crawl to active shells.
See all records 👇
Hermit crab fur is a colonial hydroid, a spiky mat on hermit crabs shells. It sprouts 3 polyp types: Tentacled feeding polyps, Gonozoids for larva production, Stinging defensive polyps. Larvae can sense and crawl to active shells.
See all records 👇
Thanks to Uri Frank @thecocodium.bsky.social from @uniofgalway.bsky.social for giving a great talk at the @viennabiocenter.bsky.social @univie.ac.at today, introducing the remarkable reproductive system of #Hydractinia and fascinating research into sex determination; more at doi.org/10.1126/scia...
April 29, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Thanks to Uri Frank @thecocodium.bsky.social from @uniofgalway.bsky.social for giving a great talk at the @viennabiocenter.bsky.social @univie.ac.at today, introducing the remarkable reproductive system of #Hydractinia and fascinating research into sex determination; more at doi.org/10.1126/scia...
Next at VAAM Workshop at @freieuniversitaet.bsky.social , Alexandra Eckart from HIPS talking about her discoveries of tenacious bacteria isolated from Hydractinia echinata hydroids.
September 25, 2025 at 7:33 AM
Next at VAAM Workshop at @freieuniversitaet.bsky.social , Alexandra Eckart from HIPS talking about her discoveries of tenacious bacteria isolated from Hydractinia echinata hydroids.
Ah very nice! The many lives of Hydractinia
January 6, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Ah very nice! The many lives of Hydractinia
Made some new silhouettes for Hydractinia! They are public domain on phylopic.
www.phylopic.org/nodes/809139...
www.phylopic.org/nodes/809139...
August 13, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Made some new silhouettes for Hydractinia! They are public domain on phylopic.
www.phylopic.org/nodes/809139...
www.phylopic.org/nodes/809139...