Portuguese Man o' War
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{{Taxobox | color = pink | name = Portuguese Man O' War | image = Portuguese man of war.jpg | regnum = Animalia | phylum = Cnidaria | classis = Hydrozoa | ordo = Siphonophora | familia = Physaliidae | genus = Physalia | species = P. physalis | binomial = Physalia physalis | binomial_authority = (Linnaeus, 1758) }} The Portuguese Man O' War (Physalia physalis), also known as the bluebottle, is commonly thought of as a jellyfish but is actually a siphonophore—a colony of four sorts of polyps.
A similar group of animals are the chondrophores. The Man O' War's float is bilaterally symmetrical with the tentacles at one end, while the chondrophores are radially symmetrical with the sail at an angle. Also the Man O' War has a siphon, while the chondrophores do not.
The Portuguese Man O' War has an air bladder; known also as a sail, that allows it to float on the surface of the ocean. It has no means of propulsion and is pushed by the winds and the current. The bladder is actually a single large polyp, called the pneumatophore. The sail is filled with air, but may build up a high concentration of carbon monoxide (up to 90%). The animal can deflate to submerge; however this is not its normal state, generally doing so only long enough to avoid a threat. The bladder must stay wet in order for survival, every so often it dips the bladder underwater to keep it wet.
Below the jelly dangle long tentacles, sometimes stretching to over ten metres in length. Tentacles as long as 55 m (180 ft) are known. These tentacles are individual polyps called dactylozooids. They stun and kill small sea creatures using poison-filled nematocysts and use muscles to draw the prey in to the gastrozooids, which are yet another different type of polyp that surround and digest it. Gonozooids, the fourth type of polyp, are responsible for reproduction.
Portuguese Man O' War are an important source of food to sea turtles, which are immune to the poison. Sea slugs and sea snails floating on the water are also immune to the poison. The Portuguese Man O' War can be found on the coast of Africa, North America, Europe and Australia as well as in other areas of the world. Image:Bluebottle.jpg
The sting from the tentacles is potentially dangerous to humans; these stings have been responsible for several deaths, but usually only cause intense pain. Detached tentacles and specimens washed up on shore can sting just as painfully as the full creature in the water. The venom can travel up to the lymph glands and may cause, depending on the amount of venom, more intense pain. In extreme cases medical attention is necessary.
According to a study made by Geoffrey Isbister in 2003 through 2005 (Newcastle's Mater Hospital Australia), the best treatment for a sting is to apply hot water to the affected area. Hot water used in the study was fixed at 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahernheit).
The use of vinegar to treat stings is controversial. It appears that vinegar can make the sting more painful in some cases, while other victims report relief after applying vinegar. One should never apply vinegar while the tentacle is still attached to the body, as this will cause the stinging cells to inject more venom.
It is often confused with a jellyfish, which is incorrect and may lead to improper treatment of stings, as the poison is different. A second sting may lead to an allergic reaction.
The Man O' War is named for its air bladder, which looks similar to a battleship with a sail while it is floating on the ocean's surface. [1] [2] Image:Portmanowar.JPG
External links
- Poisonous Animals: Blue bottle, Portuguese man-of-war (Physalia)
- Wildlife of Sydney - Fact File - Blue Bottle
- Australian Museum Online: The Bluebottle or Portuguese Man-of-War
- Australian Fauna: Blue Bottle Jellyfishde:Portugiesische Galeere
eo:Fizalio fr:Physalie it:Physalia physalis lt:Portugališkasis laivelis nl:Portugees oorlogsschip ja:カツオノエボシ pt:Garrafa-azul sv:Blåsmanet