Hydra viridissima: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the Hydra viridissima lives – recorded in 8 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Hydra viridissima
Group	Jellyfish, corals & anemones
Found in	8 countries
Continents	Europe, North America, South America
Class	Cnidarian
Order	Anthoathecata
Family	Hydridae

Where does the Hydra viridissima live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the Hydra viridissima in 8 countries and territories across Europe, North America and South America.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

What kind of animal is the Hydra viridissima?

The Hydra viridissima (Hydra viridissima) is a cnidarian in the order Anthoathecata and the family Hydridae, genus Hydra. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the Hydra viridissima

Hydra viridissima is a species of cnidarian which is commonly found in still or slow-moving freshwater in the Northern temperate zone. Hydra viridissima is commonly called green hydra due to its coloration, which is due to the symbiotic green algae Chlorella vulgaris which live within its body. Recent genomic research has shown that Hydra viridissima suppresses parts of its innate immune system to allow its symbiotic Chlorella algae to survive within its cells. This adaptation provides insight into the evolution of intracellular symbiosis in early metazoans. These creatures are typically 10 mm long and have tentacles that are about half of their length. They are strictly carnivorous and typically feed on small crustaceans, insects and annelids. Hydra are normally sessile and live on aquatic vegetation. They secrete mucus to attach to substrate using their basal disc.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Hydra viridissima (revision 1372295034), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q1551947 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).