"A hideous, many-headed Dragon that dwelt in the marshes of Lerna in Argolis, Greece. A monstrous child of Echidne and Typhon, her enormous canid body sprouted nine or more heads on serpentine necks. One head was immortal, but if an of the others were cut off, two more grew back in its place.

Heracles and his nephew Iolaus killed her as the second Labor, and Iolaus burned the stumps of each head that Heracles severed. The oldest images of this monster appear to depict a giant squid (Architeuthis).

Hydra is also the largest of the star constellations, and was among the 48 listed by Ptolemy. The name has been applied to microscopic tentacled water creatures."

~Source: Literature- Zell Ravenheart, Oberon, "A Wizards Bestiary/by Oberon Zell-Ravenheart and Ash "LeopardDancer" DeKirk" New Page Books, 2007