This disclosure is related to hydrophones, for example hydrophones that may be used in marine seismic surveying, permanent reservoir monitoring, downhole acoustic monitoring in a wellbore, and/or various other applications. Some embodiments of a hydrophone according to this disclosure are constructed such that a longitudinal stiffness of the hydrophone is greater than a circumferential stiffness of the hydrophone. In some embodiments, however, the longitudinal stiffness may be somewhat less than the circumferential stiffness. For example, the longitudinal stiffness may be greater than one half the circumferential stiffness in some cases.