$ssh[0] = <<'__EOI__'; >MWG869551-C3277-T7 CCCATCCAGTTTATGAGATCGCGCATTGATCGCCCGAGGCGGTCTA GCCGCCACACCACTAATGTATCGCCGGCGCGCAATTGCTCTTTAATTTTCTCAAGCCCCG GCCGCGCAGTGACAACGCCAGAGACCTTATCAGTGATGACCTTTTCGCAGCCCGCCGCCC GTAAAGCGTCGGTTTGAAGATCCAAATTTTGTTCGATGGTCGAGACCCGCGCATAGCCAA TCTTCATACGAGCAGTGCCCGGCCATTGAGAAAAGGAAGAAAACTCATGTTATCCTGAAA TTCATTGCCCTAGTTTTCTTTACCGAGTAGATTTACCGGCATTCGGTAGAATTGGCAACG TGTTGGAGATCGCGTGACCATTACC >... __EOI__ if ($ssh[0] =~ /^\s*>(\w+)\-(\w+)\-(\w+)\s*((?:\n[ACGT]+)+)/) { print "$1 $2 $3 \n $4\n"; } __END__ output ====== MWG869551 C3277 T7 CCCATCCAGTTTATGAGATCGCGCATTGATCGCCCGAGGCGGTCTA GCCGCCACACCACTAATGTATCGCCGGCGCGCAATTGCTCTTTAATTTTCTCAAGCCCCG GCCGCGCAGTGACAACGCCAGAGACCTTATCAGTGATGACCTTTTCGCAGCCCGCCGCCC GTAAAGCGTCGGTTTGAAGATCCAAATTTTGTTCGATGGTCGAGACCCGCGCATAGCCAA TCTTCATACGAGCAGTGCCCGGCCATTGAGAAAAGGAAGAAAACTCATGTTATCCTGAAA TTCATTGCCCTAGTTTTCTTTACCGAGTAGATTTACCGGCATTCGGTAGAATTGGCAACG TGTTGGAGATCGCGTGACCATTACC