Achlya is a genus of oomycete (water mold), in the family Saprolegniaceae.

Unlike many other microorganisms, cell expansion is governed by changes in cell wall strength rather than changes in osmotic pressure.

[1] The genome of Achlya hypogyna has been sequenced and can be accessed on public online databases, for example on the NCBI website (National Center for Biotechnology Information).

vol.11 on page 514 in 1823 by Christian Gottfried Daniel Nees von Esenbeck.

[3] The genus name of Achlya is named after Achlys, who in the Hesiodic Shield of Heracles, is one of the figures depicted on Heracles' shield, perhaps representing the personification of sorrow.