What is "hydromedusa"

Hydromedusa \Hy`dro*me*du"sa\, n.; pl. Hydromedus[ae]. [NL. See Hydra, and Medusa.] (Zo["o]l.) Any medusa or jellyfish which is produced by budding from a hydroid. They are called also Craspedota, and naked-eyed medus[ae].

Note: Such medus[ae] are the reproductive zooids or gonophores, either male or female, of the hydroid from which they arise, whether they become free or remain attached to the hydroid colony. They in turn produce the eggs from which the hydroids are developed. The name is also applied to other similar medus[ae] which are not known to bud from a hydroid colony, and even to some which are known to develop directly from the eggs, but which in structure agree essentially with those produced from hydroids. See Hydroidea, and Gymnoblastea.

n. The South American snake-necked turtle.

Hydromedusa is a turtle genus in the family Chelidae, commonly known as the South American snake-necked turtles. They are quite closely related to the South American side-necked swamp turtles ( Acanthochelys) and the snake-necked turtles of the Australian- Melanesian region ( Chelodina), but less closely to the spine-necked river turtles of South America ( Podocnemididae) which belong to a more modern lineage of Pleurodira.

This genus contains the following species:

• Brazilian snake-necked turtle, Cágado da Serra, Hydromedusa maximiliani
• Argentine snake-necked turtle, Cágado pescoço de cobra, Hydromedusa tectifera

Category:Turtle genera Category:Taxa named by Johann Georg Wagler