Be wary if you see this creature on the beach
While truly beautiful, with translucent air bags and vivid hues of blue, purple and pink, this creature can be truly dangerous. It’s called the Portuguese man o’ war.
The man o’ war (Physalia physalis) is often mistaken for a jellyfish. It is, in fact, a siphonophore, a strange animal that is composed of a colony of clones with various forms and functions that work together, as NOAA explains. Their name comes from their uppermost body part, a gas-filled float that sits above the water and looks like a warship at full sail. This float catches the wind and propels them along the water.
Beachgoers should pay attention to man o’war’s tentacles, which range from 30 to 165 feet in length, according to Tree Hugger. These tentacles contain stinging nematocysts, “microscopic capsules loaded with coiled, barbed tubes that deliver venom capable of paralysing and killing small fish and crustaceans.” While not deadly to people, its sting is painful and causes welts on the exposed skin. The venom remains active even after the animal has died.
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The U.S. National Library of Medicine list the symptoms of a sting as such:
• Abdominal pain
• Changes in pulse
• Chest pain
• Collapse
• Headache
• Muscle pain and muscle spasms
• Numbness and weakness
• Pain in the arms or legs
• Raised red spot where stung
• Runny nose and watery eyes
• Swallowing difficulty
• Sweating
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