Cnidarian · siphonophore

Portuguese man o’ war

Physalia physalis

PacificAtlanticIndianSouthernArctic Found in 3 oceans

Depth

At the surface, pushed by the wind

Size

Float up to 15 cm above the water, tentacles 10 m on average, up to 30 m

Diet

Small fish and crustaceans

Zone

Sunlit zone · 0 – 200 m

Key facts

• It is not a jellyfish. It is a colony of clone individuals that share the work.
• It has no engine. Its gas-filled float moves it along with the wind, like a sail.
• Its tentacles sting and paralyze small fish. They still sting weeks after washing ashore.
• They sometimes drift in groups of more than 1,000.

Verified sources

1. NOAA Ocean Service : What is a Portuguese man o’ war?
2. Florida Museum : Five facts about the Portuguese man-of-war

In the game: Mild danger: stings

In the same zone

Northern bottlenose whaleHyperoodon ampullatus Giant manta rayMobula birostris DugongDugong dugon Lion’s mane jellyfishCyanea capillata WalrusOdobenus rosmarus Leopard sealHydrurga leptonyx