J is for Jellyfish (Portuguese Man O War) one of the deadliest kind in the world
Portuguese man o' war
| Portuguese man o' war | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Cnidaria |
| Class: | Hydrozoa |
| Order: | Siphonophorae |
| Suborder: | Cystonectae |
| Family: | Physaliidae Brandt, 1835[2] |
| Genus: | Physalia Lamarck, 1801[1] |
| Species: | P. physalis |
| Binomial name | |
| Physalia physalis | |
| Synonyms | |
The Portuguese man o' war (Physalia physalis), also known as the man-of-war,[6] bluebottle, or floating terror is a marine hydrozoan found in the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Oceans. It is considered to be the same species as the Pacific man o' war, which is found mainly in the Pacific Ocean.
The Portuguese man o' war is the only species in the genus Physalia, which in turn is the only genus in the family Physaliidae.[7] It has numerous venomous microscopic nematocysts which deliver a painful sting powerful enough to kill fish, and has been known to occasionally kill humans. Although it superficially resembles a jellyfish, the Portuguese man o' war is in fact a siphonophore. Like all siphonophores, it is a colonial organism, made up of many smaller units called zooids.[8] All zooids in a colony are genetically identical, but fulfill specialized functions such as feeding and reproduction, and together allow the colony to operate as a single individual.
I've seen jellyfish on the shore at the beach and was so glad I wasn't in the water to be stung by these creatures. They are very interesting to look at, but definitely not to touch! Hope you are doing well. Praying for you daily as you work through these difficult days. (((hugs)))
ReplyDeleteI almost stepped on one out of water down in Corpus Christi, I guess even dead they can still sting. I am doing as well as can be expected. I sure do appreciate very much
DeleteSomething you don't want to encounter for sure.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day. ♥
they are plentiful on the Gulf Coast in TX I almost stepped on one, their tentacles can be up to 6 feet
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