Tiputella

Tiputella is a genus of small, free-swimming marine invertebrates belonging to the phylum Cnidaria. They are a type of hydroid, which are colonial animals. Each individual in a tiputella colony, called a polyp, is responsible for a specific function. The most notable polyp type is the dactylozooid, which is elongated and bears nematocysts, or stinging cells. These are used for capturing prey.

The name "tiputella" itself is derived from the indigenous Mapuche language of Chile, meaning "little bell." This refers to the bell-like shape of their medusa stage, though tiputella are primarily known for their polyp stage. They are typically found in temperate and polar waters worldwide, often attached to substrates like seaweed, shells, or rocks.

Tiputella colonies are usually small and delicate. The individual polyps are connected by a stolon, a creeping stem. The feeding polyps, or gastrozooids, are responsible for digestion, while the stinging polyps, the dactylozooids, are for defense and predation. Reproduction in tiputella can occur both asexually, through budding from the polyps, and sexually, with the release of gametes that develop into a free-swimming larval stage. This larval stage then settles and develops into a new colony.