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Portuguese Man-of-War Profile Anyone unfamiliar with the biology of the venomous Portuguese man-of-war would likely mistake it for a jellyfish. Not only is it not a jellyfish, it's not even an "it," but a "they.
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Portuguese Man-of-War
Physalia physalis
This creature sails along on the water surface, changing shape to catch the wind and alter its course.
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Portuguese Man-of-war
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Portuguese Man-Of-War Facts - Received from Rochelle Goldsmith in Massachusetts ...
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One sure-fire clue that you are in tropical water is the presence of a jellyfish-like creature known as the Portuguese Man-of-War. It is actually not a true jellyfish, but a member of a closely-related group called the siphonophora.
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Siphonophores like the Portuguese man-of-war look like jellyfish but they are not. They are really groups or colonies of animals. Each organism in the colony has a special niche or role. Some form the tentacles, and some form the mouth and stomach.
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Anthozoa, which includes sea anemones and coral Cubozoa, which includes Portuguese man-of-war Hydrozoa, which includes jellyfish Scyphozoa, which includes box jellies ...
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The Physalina comprise the families Physalidae and Epibulidae, of which the types are Physalia (figs. 74, 75) and Epibulia, respectively. Physalia, known commonly as the Portuguese man-of-war, is remarkable for its great size, its brilliant colours, ...
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So be careful - even a dead jellyfish can sting. While the sting of the moon jellyfish may be irritating, species such as the Portuguese Man-of-War may inflict much more serious, even deadly, stings.
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Bluebottle or Portuguese Man-of-War Physalia physalis Bluebottle-fish, Nomeus gronovii (Gmelin, 1789) Blue-eye Trevalla, Hyperoglyphe antarctica (Carmichael, 1818) Blue-eyes Lacewing on grass stalk Blueface Angelfish, Pomacanthus xanthometopon ...
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 See also: Jellyfish, Purple, Medusa, Cnidaria, Sea Anemone
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