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Portuguese Man o War

Cnidarians

The Portuguese man o' war, also called the man-of-war or bluebottle, is a marine hydrozoan found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans that superficially resembles a jellyfish but is in fact a siphonophore, a colonial organism made up of many smaller, genetically identical units called zooids that specialize in functions such as hunting, digestion and reproduction. A gas-filled bladder called the pneumatophore keeps it afloat at the surface while its tentacles, which can reach up to 30 metres long, hang below carrying venomous cnidocytes capable of delivering a sting strong enough to kill fish, crustaceans and, in some cases, humans. A sail atop the pneumatophore, left or right-handed depending on which way it catches the wind, propels the animal across the sea, sometimes in groups as large as a thousand individuals.

Facts
Classification
DietSourced to the subject's own account
Carnivore 2
System (Realm)
Marine 3
Relationship to People
Venomous or Dangerous to Humans 4
Identification
Distinguishing Appearance
Gas-filled bladder (pneumatophore) keeps it afloat at the surface, with tentacles up to 30 m long hanging below 1
Comparison
CITES Appendix
Not Listed 4
Scientific Name
Physalia physalis 1
Conservation Status
Not Evaluated 5
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Hydrozoa, Taxa
Source Wikidata: Portuguese Man-of-War

In Biome

Marine, Biomes
Source Portuguese Man-of-War (Wikipedia)

In Ecosystem

Sargasso Sea, Ecosystems
Source Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Physalia physalis (Animal Diversity Web)
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Algeria

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Australia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Belgium

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Brazil

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Canada

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Colombia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

France

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Italy

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Japan

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Kenya

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Malta

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

New Zealand

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Norway

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Portugal

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

United Kingdom

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Vietnam

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. Portuguese man o' war - Wikipedia
  • Lead paragraph, taxonomy
    Physalia physalis
  • Lead paragraph, pneumatophore sentence
    A gas-filled bladder called the pneumatophore provides buoyancy that lets the animal stay afloat on the surface of the water
View the Source
2. Portuguese Man-of-War (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • lead paragraph (diet), EntityId 295269
    The Portuguese man o' war is a carnivore.
  • In Biome: Marine, Wikipedia intro: "man-of-war, bluebottle, or sometimes called Caravela Portuguesa (a name of Portuguese origin), is a marine hydrozoan found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific..."
  • In Group: Hydrozoans (Hydrozoa), Lead
    The Portuguese man o' war (Physalia physalis), also known as the man-of-war, bluebottle, or sometimes called Caravela Portuguesa (a name of Portuguese origin), is a marine hydrozoan found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans.
View the Source
3. GBIF Species API
GBIF Species APIView the Source
4. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Physalia physalis (Animal Diversity Web)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
  • Conservation Status: CITES
    CITES No special status
  • Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
    This species can hurt tourists and tourism in areas where it is common, due to stings (of neurotoxins) from its cnidocytes.
  • In Ecosystem: Sargasso Sea, Geographic Range
    This species has been found in the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean, and the Sargasso Sea.
View the Source
5. GBIF (IUCN Red List category): GBIF IUCN Red List category for Physalia physalis
GBIF (IUCN Red List category)GBIF taxon key 2264734, category field
Quote, GBIF taxon key 2264734, category field
"category": "NOT_EVALUATED"
View the Source
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
International Union for Conservation of NatureView the Source
Wikidata: Portuguese Man-of-War
  • Wikidata Q202526, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
  • Child Taxon Of: Hydrozoa, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chain
View the Source
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