Hygrobia is a genus of aquatic beetles native to Europe, North Africa, China and Australia.

The adults feed for as long as 30 min, coming to the surface very briefly to renew the air-supply.

[7] Adults are able to stridulate, producing an audible sound,[8] which is why they are called squeak or screech beetles.

Compound eyes are present, not divided into ventral and dorsal portions, strongly protruding.

The split between today's Palearctic and Australian clades occurred later, possibly in the middle Mesozoic, by dispersal events.