The intensity of environmental factors differs in natural habitats and could shape the response of an animal that is able to assess a factor's gradient. However, intensity-dependent response to environmental factors has been only occasionally reported in animals. In laboratory experiments, I studied changes in sexual induction in response to a series of temperature decreases in different clones of Hydra oligactis. The percentage of sexually-induced clone-mates was related to the temperature gradient intensity. This intensity-dependent response was observed independently of the H. oligactis clone and gender. The magnitude of the response differed significantly between the clones originated from the distinct sites. The possible significance of the intensity-dependent response in the Hydra clones is discussed in evolutionary terms.