The Portuguese man o' war (Physalia physalis), also known as the Portuguese man-of-war or bluebottle, though often mistaken as a jellyfish, is a marine cnidarian of the family Physaliidae. Its venomous tentacles can deliver a painful sting. The
blue bottle feeds on small fish and other small ocean creatures. They
envelope their prey with their tentacles, where a poison is released
thus paralysing its prey before being consumed. The tentacles adhere
extremely well to their prey. If a tentacle is put under the microscope
you will see that it looks like a long string of barbed hooks, which
explains the ability of the tentacle to attach.
If a
tentacle attaches itself to a human, it releases a poison (through the
use of nematocysts), and if you continue to rub the skin after the
tentacle has been removed more poison or venom will be released.
The
blue bottles colour can range from a blue to a pink hue, with a
transluscent body. The float or body of the blue bottle measures between
3 to 15 cms. The tentacles can range in length from 15 cms up to 10
metres.
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| © Oceana/ZOEA - LINK |
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| Photo credit: Luis Quintana - LINK |
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