Hydra oligactis Pallas, 1766

Brown hydra

Species recognized by UNESCO-IOC Register of Marine Organisms external link, J van der Land (ed) in 
IUCN Red List Status: NOT EVALUATED external link Showing: scientific names

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Hydra oligactis Pallas, 1766

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Hydra vulgaris Pallas, 1766

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Overview

Biology

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Copyright Wildscreen 2003-2008. Some rights reserved external link
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The brown hydra, although largely a sessile species is capable of moving by gliding along on the 'basal disc', the part of the body that attaches to the substrate. They may also move by bending the body around, attaching to the substrate with the tentacles, and then 'somersaulting' or 'looping' forwards (3). This species is carnivorous; it feeds on small aquatic invertebrates that are paralysed by the stinging cells when the prey comes into contact with the tentacles. The prey item is then brought to the mouth by the tentacles and taken into the body of the hydra (3). Reproduction in hydras typically takes place asexually by a process known as 'budding', in which a bud-like growth on the body of the 'parent' hydra eventually grows into a new individual that becomes separated from the parent. When conditions are harsh, or there is a shortage of food, hydras can reproduce sexually; a single individual may produce both male and female sex cells, which are released into the water where fertilisation occurs. The egg develops into a larva, which is covered in tiny hair-like structures known as cilia. The larva may either settle immediately and develop into a hydra, or become surrounded in a tough outer layer that allows it to survive harsh conditions (4).
"Hydra oligactis Pallas, 1766". Encyclopedia of Life, available from "http://www.eol.org/pages/1006253". Accessed 19 Mar 2010.