Immortal Jellyfish
Immortal Jellyfish
Invertebrate
No bigger than a fingernail, the immortal jellyfish can turn its body back into a baby and begin life all over again — the only animal known to do so.
💡 Fun Facts
- The only known biologically immortal animal.
- When sick or old, it can transform its cells back into a baby polyp and start its life over.
- They are smaller than your pinky nail.
Name Story
Turritopsis dohrnii
means “the never-ending jellyfish”
What does its name mean?
- Turritopsis — tower-shaped in appearanceLatin (turris, 'tower') + Greek (opsis, 'appearance')
- dohrnii — named after the scientist Anton Dohrna person's name
- immortal — never-dyingEnglish
Its everyday name is no tall tale: when this tiny, tower-shaped jellyfish is hurt, starving or stressed, its grown-up body can wind its life back to its baby stage and start growing up all over again — nature's nearest thing to a reset button.