It’s hard to imagine anything actually wanting to be immortal. Wanting to live on and on endlessly with no rest of cease to it all in sight. Look at how grumpy most vampires are, for example. But science may have finally discovered a creature that immortal. The aptly named Hydra. A creature that will blow your mind in form and function.

From Wired:

This is a supremely simple animal, belonging to the same group as jellyfish, the cnidarians. “I sometimes describe hydras sort of like a little free-living piece of intestine,” said hydrobiologist Rob Steele of the University of California, Irvine. At one end is a sticky disk, which the hydra uses to anchor itself, and at the other is a mouth and tentacles packed with stinging cells, which fire toxic harpoons into prey. Holding the quarry in place, the hydra then ratchets its mouth over the victim—typically a tiny crustacean called a water flea—until it’s entirely enveloped

So, in essence, they ARE vampires, feeding off others to live forever. What’s even worse? At least we can usually see vampires coming. These fascinating beasts are all but invisible to us.

[Image and story via Wired]

Tags: cell, creature, Hydra, immortal, jellyfish, live forever, Science, self reproducing, time, vampires, Wired