# @science on Instagram - **Type:** Image - **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DTqwJz9EoL0 - **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/53307648-science-instagram - **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/52c0cfcf71.jpg - **Posted:** 2026-01-18T22:00:23.000+00:00 - **Account Owner:** Science šŸ§¬ (@science) ā€” https://gondola.cc/science ## Caption šŸ§ø Tardigrade, also called ā€œwater bearā€ or ā€œmoss piglet,ā€ are part of more than 1,100 species of free-living tiny invertebrates belonging to the phylum Tardigrada. They are considered to be close relatives of arthropods. Tardigrades are mostly about 1 mm (0.04 inch) or less in size. They live in a variety of habitats worldwide, including damp moss, on flowering plants, in sand, in freshwater, and in the sea. In adapting to this wide range of external conditions, a large number of genera and species have evolved.ā  ā  _____ā  ā  šŸ”¬Tardigrades have a well-developed head region and a short body composed of four fused segments, with each segment bearing a pair of short, stout, unjointed limbs generally ending with several sharp claws. The animals have no known specialized organs of circulation or respiration; the tardigradeā€™s body cavity (hemocoel) is filled with fluid that transports blood and oxygen (the latter of which diffuses through the animalā€™s integument and is stored in cells within the hemocoel). The alimentary canal traverses the body from end to end. Most plant-eating tardigrades feed by piercing individual plant cells with their stylets (spear-like structures near the mouth) and then sucking out the cell contents. A few tardigrades are predatory carnivores.ā  ā  Tardigrades may reproduce sexually or through asexual reproduction (by means of parthenogenesis or through self-fertilization [hermaphroditism]). Eggs are discharged either into the posterior end of the alimentary canal or directly to the exterior through an opening in front of the anus.ā  ā  _____ā  ā  For more information: link in our bio. šŸ”—ā  ā  ā  ā  ā  ā  #tardigrade #tardigrada #waterbear #microanimal #massextinction #biology #science #sciencefacts #biologyfacts #wowfacts ## Stats - **Views:** 0 - **Likes:** 1,352 - **Shares:** 0 - **Comments:** 22 ## Tags microanimal, science, sciencefacts, wowfacts, tardigrada, massextinction, tardigrade, biologyfacts, biology, waterbear --- Copyright (c) Gondola