Hüdraadid

Hüdraadid, or hydroids, are a diverse group of small aquatic cnidarians belonging to the class Hydrozoa. They can be solitary but most commonly form colonies in which numerous tiny polyps share tissues and a common skeleton. Colonies are often attached to submerged surfaces and can have a plant-like appearance, with branches formed by interconnected polyps.

In colonial hydroids, the colony consists of feeding polyps, or hydranths, which bear tentacles for capturing prey, and sometimes specialized reproductive polyps called gonangia that produce medusae or new polyps. Many hydroids are protected by a chitinous or proteinaceous cover called perisarc, which reinforces the colony’s architecture.

Life cycle and reproduction among hydroids are variable. The polyp stage is typically dominant, with asexual budding building and expanding the colony. In some marine species, reproductive medusae arise from gonangia and reproduce sexually, producing planula larvae that settle as new polyps. Other hydroids retain a reduced or entirely absent medusa stage, relying on asexual budding for propagation.

Habitat and ecology: Hydroids inhabit a wide range of aquatic environments, from freshwater streams to coastal and offshore marine habitats. They attach to rocks, shells, seaweeds, and man-made substrates. As sessile carnivores, they feed on small zooplankton and other tiny aquatic organisms using cnidocytes on their tentacles. They can be indicators of water quality and, in some cases, form fouling communities on ships and submerged structures.

Significance: Some hydroids, notably the freshwater genus Hydra, have contributed to developmental biology due to their regenerative abilities. Hydroids also contribute to aquatic biodiversity and play roles in food webs as predators of small invertebrates.