diff --git a/build/species.py b/build/species.py
index f1a3505..0bf1839 100644
--- a/build/species.py
+++ b/build/species.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ def add_species_from_fasta(filename, species_code, species_name, contains_descri
 
     new_sequences = []
     for name, sequence in fasta_data.sequences.items():
-        description = ''
+        description = None
         if contains_description:
             parts = name.split('|', 1)
             name = parts[0].strip()
diff --git a/planet/models/sequences.py b/planet/models/sequences.py
index 025985c..151b5b1 100644
--- a/planet/models/sequences.py
+++ b/planet/models/sequences.py
@@ -33,9 +33,10 @@ class Sequence(db.Model):
     xrefs = db.relationship('XRef', secondary=sequence_xref, lazy='dynamic')
 
     def __init__(self, species_id, name, coding_sequence, type='protein_coding', is_chloroplast=False,
-                 is_mitochondrial=False):
+                 is_mitochondrial=False, description=None):
         self.species_id = species_id
         self.name = name
+        self.description = description
         self.coding_sequence = coding_sequence
         self.type = type
         self.is_chloroplast = is_chloroplast
diff --git a/planet/templates/pagination/sequences.html b/planet/templates/pagination/sequences.html
index 7ebcf70..456329d 100644
--- a/planet/templates/pagination/sequences.html
+++ b/planet/templates/pagination/sequences.html
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
                 <tr>
                     <td><a href="{{ url_for('sequence.sequence_view', sequence_id=sequence.id) }}">{{ sequence.name }}</a></td>
                     <td><a href="{{ url_for('species.species_view', species_id=sequence.species_id) }}"><em>{{ sequence.species.name }}</em></a></td>
+                    <td>{% if sequence.description %}{{ sequence.description|truncate(60) }}{% else %}<span class="text-muted">No description available</span>{% endif %}</td>
                     <td>{{ sequence.type }}</td>
                 </tr>
             {% endfor %}