Cochliomyia hominivorax, the New World Screwworm Fly, is an obligate parasitic fly whose larvae infest warm-blooded animals, feeding on living tissues and causing severe myiasis. Its genome is considerably big, having a high level of repetitive DNA. DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01152-4 Authors: Lucía Martí, Alba Paniagua, Lukas Robertson, Paula Vera
Genome scale: 6
Robusta coffee
Coffea canephora, the robusta coffee plant, possesses a relatively small genome size of 710 Mb, which is notably small for an angiosperm. Its genome diverged phylogenetically before a whole-genome polyploidization event suffered by other eudicots. DOI: 10.1126/science.1255274 September/05/2014 Authors: Pau Avellana Ascanio, Anna Marinello Expósito, Julia Martín Martín, Ona Nieto Rodríguez
Coconut rhinoceros beetle
The coconut rhinoceros beetle is one of the biggest beetles yet found, with an enormous horn. This horn is the reason for its name. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-022-08628-z June/07/2022 Authors: Lucía Ramos Sapena, Ángela Reinón Miguel, María Villena Jiménez
Apple
Malus domestica, the apple, is one of the most widely grown fruits on Earth. Its genome reveals a rich collection of disease-resistance genes and effective pathways for fruit development and flavor production, both product of human selection and hybridization with wild apple species. DOI: 10.1038/ng.654 (August/29/2010) Authors: Maria Batlles Santiago, Erea Bocija Veiga, Selene Calderón…
Anemone sea spider
Pycnogonum litorale, the anemone sea spider, is a small marine pycnogonid (sister group to all other chelicerates) with a vestigial opisthosoma (abdomen) and a proboscis. Its genome reveals information about the evolution of the body plan and genomic structure of chelicerates. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-025-02276-x — July/02/2025 Authors: Alba Burgos Renedo, Pablo Caldera Morante, Marc Hormigo Zambrano, Jose…
Opium poppy
Papaver somniferum, the opium poppy, is a medicinal and ornamental plant known for producing pharmacologically important benzylisoquinoline alkaloids such as morphine and codeine. Its poppy seeds are used for culinary applications as breads and cakes. This is because the alkaloids are mainly concentrated in the latex of the immature capsule, while mature seeds contain negligible…
Urinary blood fluke
Urinary schistosomiasis has afflicted humans for over 5,000 years. Ancient Egyptian papyri record “bloody urine” (parasite eggs were found in mummies dating to 1250–1000 BC) and in 1798 Napoleon’s soldiers dubbed Egypt “the land of menstruating men” due to widespread haematuria. 10.1038/ng.1065 Author: Oscar Gonzalo Figueredo
Beet
Beta vulgaris, the beet, is cultivated for its colorful, fleshy roots and nutritious leaves rich in fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. Its genome is diploid and encodes genes important for sugar production, making it a vital crop in temperate regions worldwide. J. C., Minoche, A. E., Holtgräwe, D., Capella-Gutiérrez, S., Zakrzewski, F., Tafer, H., Rupp, O.,…
European eel
Its body is covered in a slimy mucus layer and its coloration ranges from olive-brown to yellowish on the belly. They live in freshwater but migrate to the sea to spawn. Specifically, they are born in the Sargasso Sea, then drift thousands of kilometers across the ocean to European rivers, where they spend most of…
Clown anemonefish
The false clownfish, Amphiprion ocellaris, is a popular fish species and an emerging model organism for studying the ecology, evolution, adaptation, and developmental biology of reef fishes. The false clownfish, Amphiprion ocellaris, shows different agonistic behaviours, defined as an individual’s aggressive behavior towards a conspecific, living with different host anemones. Juvenile fish were exposed to…