Clytia hemisphaerica has emerged as a promising model organism as its life cycle, small size, and relatively easy upkeep make it conducive to experimental manipulation and maintenance in a laboratory setting.

These nematocytes are considered specialized nerve cells despite the fact that they are composed of a pressurized capsule (nematocyst), a rapid-firing, harpoon-like dart and lethal toxins made for killing prey.

Since C. hemisphaerica passes through planula, polyp, and medusa stages during its life cycle, it is regarded as a good model for studying how one genome can produce variable phenotypes.

[2] This is especially useful when considering that two of the more common Cnidarian model organisms, Hydra and Nematostella, do not have the same “complete’ life-cycle that alternates between a vegetative polyp and sexually reproducing, free-swimming medusa form.

All stages of Clytia’s life cycle can be reproduced under laboratory conditions; polyp colonies, due to their essentially immortal nature, are easily maintained, and adult medusa can be fed with Artemia larvae.

[11] Clytia medusa that are produced from a single polyp colony are also genetically identical, presenting a huge advantage for gene function analysis as well as genome sequencing.

[13] This makes Clytia an ideal candidate for studying the dynamics of tissue regeneration and epithelial wound-healing in-vivo, since the organism's small size allows its healing process be filmed under a microscope in real-time.