photo #8544718

Some jellyfish have regeneration abilities so extreme they blur the line between healing and cloning. One striking example is Cladonema pacificum, a small hydrozoan jellyfish. When this jellyfish is cut in half, each side can regenerate into a complete, fully functioning individual—essentially creating two clones from one.This works because jellyfish cells are highly plastic, meaning they can change roles and rebuild missing structures. Instead of scarring, their tissues reorganize and grow into a mirror image of what was lost. It’s not just repair—it’s a whole-body reset.This ability gives jellyfish a huge survival advantage, allowing them to recover from injuries that would be fatal to most creatures. In nature, it also means one jellyfish can literally become two, making them masters of both resilience and reproduction.