Species
Hydra
Other Invertebrates
Citation Formats
General Reference
APA Style
BibTeX
Hydra is a genus of small freshwater hydrozoans in the phylum Cnidaria, native to temperate and tropical regions. Its species are solitary, carnivorous, jellyfish-like animals. The genus was named by Linnaeus in 1758 after the many-headed beast of Greek myth defeated by Heracles, since a hydra will regenerate a severed part much as the mythical creature regrew its heads; biologists are especially interested in the genus for this regenerative ability, as hydras do not appear to age or die of old age.
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.
View At A Past Year
The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.