16S rRNA metagenome of the marine polyp Hydractinia echinata (Cnidaria/Hydrozoa)

Bacteria associated with marine invertebrates are suggested to play important roles in animal development and health. We analyzed the bacterial community of the marine polyp Hydractinia echinata using Illumina HiSeq 2000 sequencing of the 16S rRNA V6 region. Hydractinia echinata belongs to the Hydrozoa (Cnidaria) and lives as sessile polyp on gastropod shells (Buccinum spp.). For each sample, 20 polyps were harvested and the whole tissue used for DNA extraction. Bacteria were further isolated from H. echinata polyps and their ability to form natural products and to induce larval metamorphosis investigated. The combined application of culture-independent 16S metagenome sequencing, bacterial cultivation and chemical analysis allows a new insight into the ecological role of bacteria associated with marine invertebrates.