Drawing together findings from several projects over many years, we make a case that neural cell types in the Clytia larva have two embryological origins: i-cells and ectodermal.
bioRxiv 2025.11.17.688882; doi: doi.org/10.1101/2025...

Tested in Clytia too - by @sassaf.bsky.social and @momotsuyo.bsky.social !

Bravo @juliarmateu.bsky.social et @annaferraioli.bsky.social, merci à Richard Copley pour ce travail co-dirigée, et merci aux collaboratrices coralistes Isabelle Domart-Coulon (MNHN, Paris) et Núria Teixidó (LOV, et Ischia Marine Center, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn)

Careful scRNAseq and characterisation of cell types from larve of 3 cnidarian species uncovered shared features. This work can help understanding of animal nervous system evolution, and identified potential regulators of larval settlement !
Bravo @juliarmateu.bsky.social @annaferraioli.bsky.social

Intriguing findings from our Sendai collaborators Ruka Kitsui and Ryusaku Deguchi. While C. hemispherica spawns at dawn, Clytia IZ-D species spawns at dusk. This is not triggered by dark but, unexpectedly, by light-mediated extension of an autonomously-running 20h cycle. doi.org/10.1101/2025...

That was another nice find -thanks John. We love Metchnikoff too -especially for his substantial contribution to invertebrate embryology, including of course this !

How come PKA signalling has opposite roles for oocyte maturation in vertebrates compared to many other species? We unpicked this “cAMP paradox” in a cross-species collaboration, charting phosphorylation site evolution of the key regulator ARPP19. Meneau et al. DOI: 10.1242/dev.202655

Aboral cell types of Clytia and coral larvae have shared features and link taurine to the regulation of settlement
Julia Ramon-Mateu, Anna Ferraioli, Núria Teixidó, Isabelle Domart-Coulon, Evelyn Houliston, Richard R. Copley
bioRxiv 2024.10.30.621027; doi: doi.org/10.1101/2024...