Hydra
(Hydra vulgaris)

Found in freshwater lakes, ponds, and streams across the world, Hydra is a tiny but fascinating creature with a remarkable toolkit for survival. It reproduces by budding — simply growing a clone of itself directly from its body like a plant growing a new branch — but can also regenerate a complete individual from just a fragment if it’s cut apart!

As the gif below shows, its mouth opens by separating on a cellular level, an almost alien process to watch.

It also possesses stinging tentacles used to paralyse small prey like water fleas, which it then draws into its body to digest!