This is the Portuguese man-of-war (Physalia physalis), one of the weirdest animals on the planet Earth

It looks like a jellyfish, it acts like a jellyfish... but it's not a jellyfish!!

Do you think you are looking to one organism?

Wrong!!

It is actually a colony of organisms working together

The Portuguese man-of-war is a siphonophore that comprises four separate polyps that are combined to breed, reproduce, feed and survive.

This are the four types of polyps:

• pneumatophore, or float;
• dactylozooids, or tentacles;
• gastrozooids, or feeding zooids; and
• gonozooids which produce gametes for reproduction.

The uppermost polyp (pneumatophore) is a gas-filled bladder, which sits above the water and somewhat resembles an old ship at full sail. The name "man o' war" comes from the man-of-war, an 18th-century armed sailing ship, and the supposed resemblance to the Portuguese version at full sail.

In other languages it is known as the 'Portuguese war-ship' (Dutch: portugees oorlogsschip, Swedish: portugisisk örlogsman, Norwegian: portugisisk krigsskip, Finnish: portugalinsotalaiva), the 'Portuguese galley' (German: portugiesische Galeere, Hungarian: portugál gálya), the 'Portuguese caravel' (Portuguese: caravela-portuguesa, Spanish: carabela portuguesa, Italian: caravella portoghese), or the 'Portuguese little boat' (Russian: португальский кораблик).

The tentacles bear stinging, venom-filled nematocysts, and can extend 165 feet (50 meters) in length below the surface, although 30 feet (10 meters) is more the average. They are the main mechanism for catching prey, as they can paralyze and kill fish and other small creatures. They are also used for defense.

Muscles in the tentacles draw prey up to a polyp containing the gastrozooids or digestive organisms, which are located along the underside of the float. Each man-of-war has multiple gastrozooids complete with individual mouths.

For humans, a man-of-war sting is excruciatingly painful!! It can make a grown up cry, believe me!

It causes severe pain (resembling those caused by a whip), skin lacerations, fever, convulsions, respiratory distress and in some cases death. It leaves red welts on the skin that can be very painful for several days.

The tentacles should not be touched, EVER!!

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Distribution

This species floats on or the near the surface of the ocean. Moved by a combination of winds, currents, and tide, it might be found in the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean, and the Sargasso Sea (they are especially common in theses warm waters).

Sometimes, since the Portuguese man-of-war has no means of propulsion, they are found in groups of 1,000 or more, floating in warm waters throughout the world's oceans.

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Here are some cool videos I found out

1 - A short detailed explanation

2 - Short explanation with pretty cool images (also creepy)

3 - Stunning video...

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The first four photos were taken in the Azores Islands in one of my last trips! It's pretty fascinating, but...be careful, it can hurt you badly!

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Soures: 1, 2, 3

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I am a Conservation Biologist studying invasive plants. Sometimes my curiosity makes me want to know a little more about other subjects, usually,​ nature related. I found those man-of-war photos recently in my hard-disk and asked myself why the light sting I had was so painful? Now I know what caused it and shared the information I gathered with you. As soon as possible I will return to my invasive species post.