Hippopodius hippopus is a mainly epipelagic and sometimes mesopelagic,It is found in the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean, and off the coast of Thailand and Indonesia at around 0-300 meters (980ft) below sea level. They prefer warm water and can be found at around 50ðN-38ðS latitude.
Hippopodius hippopus is a cnidarian of the order siphonophorae in the monotypic family Hippopodiidae in which it is the only member of its family and genus.