MBL March Madness: Out of Towners Division

Credit: Emily Greenhalgh

Woods Hole is bursting with biodiversity, but it doesn't have everything. Scientists at the 小蝌蚪视频 study organisms from all over the world. Important biological models鈥攊ncluding zebrafish, Xenopus, and some cephalopod species鈥攁re cultured at the MBL to give our researchers (and researchers around the world) access to these biological samples. Here are a few organisms that travel from far and wide to be part of MBL research.

Meet the Organisms:

Lesser Pacific Striped Octopus

Lesser Pacific striped octopus (Octopus chierchiae).
Lesser Pacific striped octopus聽(Octopus chierchiae).聽Credit: Tim Briggs

The lesser Pacific striped octopus (Octopus chierchiae) lives in the Pacific waters of Central America and can often be found by small rocks, shells, and cracks in the intertidal zone. The MBL鈥檚 Cephalopod Mariculture team successfully bred O. chierchiae through multiple generations in 2019 鈥 a global first.

Learn More 小蝌蚪视频 the Lesser Striped Pacific Octopus

Chain Catshark

Chain Catshark (Scyliorhinus retifer) Credit: NOAA Okeanos Explorer
Chain Catshark (Scyliorhinus retifer) Credit: NOAA Okeanos Explorer

Chain catshark (Scyliorhinus retifer) is a small species of shark that lives in the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean. They spend most of their time resting on the seafloor, where they attach pairs of egg cases to rocks. The eggs hatch after 8 to 12 months. Scientists at the 小蝌蚪视频 study the development of catshark eggs to better understand human growth and development.

Learn more about Chain Catsharks

Sea Lamprey

Adult sea lamprey
Adult sea lamprey (Petromyzon聽 marinus). Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) is an aggressive parasite that is considered a pest in many regions, including the U.S. Great Lakes. An ancient vertebrate, its lineage diverged from that of humans about 500 million years ago. Scientists study lampreys to help gain molecular understanding of human neurodegenerative disease and neurological disorders and to better understand the genetic basis of regeneration.

Learn more about the sea lamprey

Zebrafish

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) in a lab.
窜别产谤补蹿颈蝉丑听(Danio rerio)聽in a lab. Credit: Lynn Ketchum, OSU via CC license

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a small freshwater fish native to southeast Asia and a popular model system for human genetic disease research as well as for studying vertebrate gene function. Zebrafish embryos are nearly transparent, which makes them an ideal organism for studying the development of internal structures.

Learn more about zebrafish