Portuguese man o’ war

Portuguese man o’ war

Portuguese man o’ war

Portuguese man o’ war may look like a jelly fish, but actually it belongs to a different group called siphonophores, which are colonial Cnidarians. The name comes from the Man-of-War, a 16th-century armed sailing ship, and the cnidarian’s supposed resemblance to the Portuguese version at full sail. They have a brightly coloured (mostly blue) float which helps them to be blown along the wind on warmer seas. Don’t fall for those bright colours and a helpless appearance. The tentacles are armed with venom-filled nematocysts. Stings usually cause severe pain to humans, leaving whip-like, red welts on the skin that normally last 2 or 3 days after the initial sting. There can also be serious effects, including fever, shock, and interference with heart and lung function. Stings may also cause death, though rarely. These creatures are responsible for up to 10,000 human stings in Australia each summer. Interestingly, the blanket octopus is immune to the venom of the Portuguese man o’ war and has been known to rip off the man o’ war’s tentacles and use them for defensive purposes.