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Often, finding a single Portuguese man o' war is followed by finding many others in the vicinity. [37] The Portuguese man o' war is well known to beachgoers for the painful stings delivered by its tentacles. [36] Because they can sting while beached, the discovery of a man o' war washed up on a beach may lead to the closure of the beach. [60] [61]
This small cnidarian is part of a specialised ocean surface community that includes the better-known cnidarian siphonophore, the Portuguese man o' war. Specialized predatory gastropod molluscs prey on these cnidarians. Such predators include nudibranchs (sea slugs) in the genus Glaucus [4] and purple snails in the genus Janthina. [5]
“The important thing about the Portuguese man o’ war, if they’re washed up on the beach, they’re like dead bees. They can still sting you, so don’t mess with them,” Staton had said.
Often mistaken for jellyfish because of their jelly-like appearance, the man-of-war is a species of siphonophore whose distinctive blue gas-filled bubble that floats above the water looks like ...
Carl Linnaeus described the first siphonophore, the Portuguese man o' war, in 1758. [11] The discovery rate of siphonophore species was slow in the 18th century, as only four additional species were found. [11] During the 19th century, 56 new species were observed due to research voyages conducted by European powers. [11]
G. atlanticus can swallow the venomous nematocysts from siphonophores, such as the Portuguese man o' war, and store them in the extremities of its finger-like cerata. [24] Picking up the animal can result in a painful sting, with symptoms similar to those caused by the Portuguese man o' war. [26]
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Worried about getting stung by a jellyfish at the beach? Here's how to navigate the worst-case scenario. Skip to main content. Subscriptions; Animals. Business. Fitness. Food. Games. Health. Home ...