Starlet sea anemone Nematostella vectensis (IMAGE)

Marine Biological Laboratory

Starlet sea anemone Nematostella vectensis

Caption

Nematostella has specialized stinging cells on its skin and tentacles that it uses for self-defense and predation. A new study finds that after exposure to common marsh pollutants, Nematostella embryos exhibit severe developmental defects, including decreased body size, missing or misshapen tentacles, and reduced numbers of stinging cells.

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Marine Biological Laboratory/BioQuest Studios

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