Novel cell and tissue dynamics drive the unusual biology of the catch tentacle, an inducible organ of aggression found in the sea anemone <i>Metridium senile</i>
house similar types of cnidocytes that develop from proliferative cells distributed throughout the tentacle. By contrast, catch tentacles house distinct cnidocyte types from feeding tentacles and restrict proliferative cells to the base of the tentacle. This suggests immature cnidocytes migrate from base to tip to replace lost cells after an aggressive interaction in the catch tentacle. Additionally, we observed two morphologically and chemically distinct types of holotrichs in the catch tentacles that appear to use different cues to induce firing. Together, our data suggests that the novelty of catch tentacle aggression is mediated by distinct cell and tissue dynamics.
Authors
- Leslie S. Babonis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9783-4882)
- Kennedy Bolstad (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7146-8343)
- Sarah E. Arnold (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5383-148X)
- Rowan N Lopez
Institutions
- Cornell University (US)
- New York State University College of Human Ecology (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
- Published
- 2026-04-15
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.04.13.718255
- Primary Topic
- Marine Invertebrate Physiology and Ecology
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Institutes of Health