Portuguese Man O’ War
Portuguese Man O’ War Facts
| Size | 3.5-11.8 inches (9-30 cm) (body length) |
| Speed | Unknown |
| Weight | Unknown |
| Lifespan | About a year |
| Food | Mollusks, fish, shrimps, crustaceans |
| Predators | Loggerhead sea turtle, tern, violet snail |
| Distribution | Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean |
| Habitat | Coast, high sea |
| Class | Siphonophorae |
| Order | Physaliidae |
| Family | Physalia physalis |
| Scientific name | Cotylorhiza tuberculata, Phacellophora camtschatica |
| Characteristics | Poisonous, blue jellyfish with long tentacles |
Main Characteristics
The Portuguese man o' war is a siphonophore. It looks like a kind of jellyfish, but in fact consists of thousands of organisms. Its most striking features are the swim bladder and sail, giving it the appearance of an 18th century warship. It is very poisonous and causes painful wounds when touched by its tentacles. In rare cases, its venom can even result in death.
Distribution and Habitat
Portuguese man o' wars are common in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. They have also been observed in Europe for several years: Malta, Mallorca, Formentera, northern Spain, the Canary Islands, the Azores and Ireland. This is due to the rising temperatures of the oceans. They usually prefer warmer waters. In America they're often seen off the coasts of Florida, California, Jamaica and Honduras - sometimes even Canada. You also have to be careful of them in Australia.
Life Style
Portuguese man o' wars float on the surface of the water. Their poisonous tentacles hang in the water and immobilize passing prey before consuming them. They often form large groups with thousands of animals. Most of the time they are at the sea, but the wind frequently carries them onto beaches.
Anatomy and Appearance
Size and Weight
The Portuguese man o' war is 3.5-11.8 inches (9-30 cm) long and 6 inches (15 cm) high. Their tentacles are usually around 32 feet (10 meters) long, but can also be up to 98 feet (30 meters) long. According to the Guinness Book of Records, they can even be 164 feet (50 meters) long.
Body
The Portuguese man o' war looks like a typical jellyfish. However, it isn't a jellyfish because it consists of thousands of individual units, so-called polyps. They unite as a colony to form a single creature. The polyps can't exist independently of each other.
Polyps
The polyps all have the same genetic information, but over the course of their development they specialize in a specific task like digesting, reproducing, defending or developing new tentacles. They all look very different.
Swim Bladder
The Portuguese man o' war has a sac-shaped swim bladder that helps it float on the surface of the water. It is transparent but shimmers pink, purple or blue. It is mainly filled with air.
Sail
The sail sits on the swim bladder. Just like a sailing ship, the animal uses its sail to be carried by the wind. It can raise or fold the sail. To keep it moist, it rocks back and forth a little.
Tentacles
The tentacles of the Portuguese man o' war are blue, white or purple. They contain nematocysts - up to 6,400 per square inch (1,000 per centimeter)! When touched, they “discharge”. They rapidly eject a sticky tube from which the venom shoots out. Just like a venomous whiplash. To make sure the tube stays in place, it has coiled barbs added to it.
Diet
Portuguese man o' wars are carnivores. They feed on molluscs, fish, shrimp, crustaceans and zooplankton.
Behavior
"Hunting"
Portuguese man o' wars drift in the sea, waiting for prey to inadvertently come across their sticky tentacles. They're immobilized by the venom and directed upwards towards the feeding polyps using their tentacles.
Defense
Portuguese man o' wars can't defend themselves well. Their venom doesn't help against large attackers or those immune to its venom. They rely on camouflage and try to blend in with their surroundings. Their transparent body and blue color make them difficult to distinguish from the water. When threatened, they can empty their swim bladder and dive for a short time.
Senses and Abilities
Locomotion
The Portuguese man o' war can't swim actively, but it can steer and change direction with its tentacles and raise its sail to let the wind carry it. Otherwise it depends on currents and tides.
Venom
How Dangerous Is the Portuguese Man O' War?
It's not just the pain that makes it dangerous. It's the venom. It can lead to shock, elevated fever, and a rapid heartbeat. Additionally, it may result in severe swelling around the respiratory system, making it hard to breathe. Although deaths are rare, stings should not be underestimated - especially if you have a weak immune system or are allergic.
What to Do If You See a Portuguese Man O' War?
When you're in the water you should try to move away as quickly as possible. Before doing so, you better take a quick look around to see if there are more of them. It's best to swim away slowly. Avoid rapid movements, otherwise you can easily get caught in the tentacles. You should also be careful on the beach. The stinging cells are active for many days even on land. Don't touch!
How Painful Is a Sting?
A sting causes severe pain that feels like a strong whiplash. In the best case scenario, the pain subsides after an hour. However, it can also last 2-3 days.
How Do You Treat the Stings?
Seek Medical Assistance
It's important not to delay and to seek medical assistance right away. While waiting for the doctor to arrive, you can apply first aid measures on the spot.
First Aid
It is often said that you should never rinse the tentacles with vinegar, but rather with salt water. However, in 2017 scientists at the University of Hawaii found that salt water discharges even more stinging cells. In their study they were able to prove that vinegar is the better choice. So it's a good idea to always carry some vinegar with you in a small bottle.
Life Expectancy
Portuguese man o' wars live for about a year.
Enemies and Threats
Natural Enemies
The natural enemies of the Portuguese man o' war are the loggerhead sea turtle, the tern, the violet snail, the sunfish and the blue ocean snail.
A Sign of Climate Change
Portuguese man o' wars thrive in warmer waters, and as climate change causes many seas to heat up, their range is growing. That's why they can now also be seen on the coasts of Europe, for example off Malta, Mallorca, Formentera, northern Spain, the Canary Islands, the Azores and even Ireland.
Importance for the Ecosystem
Marine Animals
At first glance, the Portuguese man o' war doesn't seem to be a useful animal and, on top of that, even dangerous. So people question why they matter for a good reason. However, they are beneficial for many marine animals like the common blanket octopuses. They tear off some tentacles and use them to defend themselves or catch prey. There is a fish species called man o' war fish that seeks their proximity because it feeds on the tentacles. They're also an important food source for the endangered loggerhead sea turtle.
Water Quality
Portuguese man o' wars form large schools with thousands of animals. They help recycle nutrients and organic matter, thereby contributing to the overall health of the marine ecosystem.
Reproduction
Portuguese man o' wars aren't individual animals, but a colony of animals. However, the entire colony is either female or male. They reproduce by a female colony releasing eggs into the water and the male colony releasing sperm. The fertilized eggs grow into larvae, which clone themselves several times and then form a new colony. First they build the sail and create a feeding polyp, then the other units follow.
Name
A man o' war refers to a type of sailing ship that was commonly utilized during the Middle Ages for warfare. The Portuguese man o' war derives its name from its resemblance to these ships, particularly its swim bladder, and it can pose some danger to humans.
Fun Facts
Portuguese man o' wars can be right or left handed. There's a good reason for that. The “left-handers” are carried by the wind to the right and the “right-handers” to the left. When it's windy, only half of them will be washed up on the coast and they will have more chances to survive as an animal species.
The Portuguese Man O’ War Is Related To:
- Fire Coral
- Purple Sail
Animals in the Same Biome:
- Blue Sea Slug
- Common Blanket Octopus
- Hawksbill Sea Turtle
- Loggerhead Sea Turtle
- Octopus
- Sunfish
- Tern
- Violet Snail
Sources:
- "Assessing the Efficacy of First-Aid Measures in Physalia sp. Envenomation, Using Solution- and Blood Agarose-Based Models" (https://www.mdpi.com)
- "Tremoctopus violaceus Uses Physalia Tentacles as Weapons" (https://www.science.org)
- "Largest siphonophore zooids" (https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com)
