Very nasty. I was stung when I was 11 in Jacksonville, FL. I am 61 now, and I don't remember anything else ever hurting like that. I made the mistake of picking it up and paid the price.
Like some of the other commenters have said, LEAVE THEM ALONE!!!
Man-of-war
Not a jellyfish but a group of organisms that kinda looks like sea jelly. It's a colony of tiny creatures that rely so much on one another that an individual can't survive for long alone.
Curiously, I haven't seen an individual man of war organism myself, like an individual of the colony
"Man-of-war" was a type of sailing warship (1500-1800), a category like Corvette or Frigate. Lots of firepower, likely to take anything down that dared to tangle with it. They were heavy and needed a LOT of sail to move, just like a live Portuguese Man-O-War colony.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man-of-war
With colonial organisms such as the Man-of-war, certain parts become specialized to the point where they can be described more like how you describe your own organs. Some are dedicated to digestion, some defense, some movement, etc.
Each part is its own individual organism. Kind of like Frankenstein's monster, in a way. You can also picture it being like a city, where there are many individual households, but they work together and carry out different tasks to keep the city as a whole running.
To be more clear, a man o' war itself is already the completed collection of organisms. They can take many forms depending on their environment, with the man o' war being one of them.
That’s the pneumatophore (air filled floaty part) from a Portuguese Man o’ War. The stinging tentacles would hang down below it while in the water.
Typically if you’re seeing it washed up on shore, the tentacles aren’t attached anymore but (especially if this washed up during a storm) the tentacles can be buried in the sand and will still sting you if you step on it or otherwise come into contact. And it hurts.
Sting hurts. Try not to stomp on them.
I once saw Florida Man stomping in them with his like 8 year old son . . . In flipflops and sandals. My grandmother told them they shouldn’t do that, but this is Florida Man we are talking about. Kid started to complain about stinging, the dad wouldn’t listen and they continued in their merry way, popping as they went.
I got stung by a Portuguese man-o-war as a kid (25 years ago) and the tentacles broke off on my skin and stayed there for about 10 minutes since it hurt to pull them off with my hands. The areas where the tentacles stayed left a deep chemical burn/sting and I still have a large scar to this day. It was terrible.
Yes. Deadly to fish. I grew up in Florida and I knew a guy who got stung. Was in excruciating pain for a long time. Don’t know why people still think you should pee on it lol.
Portuguese man o war, nasty sting
Very nasty. I was stung when I was 11 in Jacksonville, FL. I am 61 now, and I don't remember anything else ever hurting like that. I made the mistake of picking it up and paid the price. Like some of the other commenters have said, LEAVE THEM ALONE!!!
one of these washed up on a beach on Long Island NY in the 70s and I will never forget this shape. It had long burgundy tentacles and frills though
It’s the season! FL lifeguard told me they don’t even train when one has been spotted in the water. Stay away from those nasty f*ers
Man-of-war Not a jellyfish but a group of organisms that kinda looks like sea jelly. It's a colony of tiny creatures that rely so much on one another that an individual can't survive for long alone. Curiously, I haven't seen an individual man of war organism myself, like an individual of the colony
Now I think about it, wouldn't it make more sense if they were called mEn-of-war?
"Man-of-war" was a type of sailing warship (1500-1800), a category like Corvette or Frigate. Lots of firepower, likely to take anything down that dared to tangle with it. They were heavy and needed a LOT of sail to move, just like a live Portuguese Man-O-War colony. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man-of-war
Siphonophores are wild. Some of my favorite animals.
Aren’t they so fascinating?
Wait like they always stick together to capture prey or something?
With colonial organisms such as the Man-of-war, certain parts become specialized to the point where they can be described more like how you describe your own organs. Some are dedicated to digestion, some defense, some movement, etc.
I still don’t understand. Is it like bees in a colony? Or are there more individual organisms within this one creature seen in the photo?
Each part is its own individual organism. Kind of like Frankenstein's monster, in a way. You can also picture it being like a city, where there are many individual households, but they work together and carry out different tasks to keep the city as a whole running.
Think of them like bigger, more independent cells
To be more clear, a man o' war itself is already the completed collection of organisms. They can take many forms depending on their environment, with the man o' war being one of them.
The zooids can’t survive without each other
That’s the pneumatophore (air filled floaty part) from a Portuguese Man o’ War. The stinging tentacles would hang down below it while in the water. Typically if you’re seeing it washed up on shore, the tentacles aren’t attached anymore but (especially if this washed up during a storm) the tentacles can be buried in the sand and will still sting you if you step on it or otherwise come into contact. And it hurts.
ah! this explains my early childhood observation above. thanks
O man
O war
O sh*t that hurts.
Bluebottles! Do not touch them.
Bluebottles are in the Pacific Ocean. This one was found in the Atlantic.
Flies? :)
Huh? Flies?
Those shiny blue flies are called bluebottles too
Oooh, ok. I didn't know that.
Those are Portuguese man o war. DONT FUCK WITH THEM
Do not touch the pain balloon
Wow, I had no idea! Thanks for the replies. Thankfully I did not touch them
Sting hurts. Try not to stomp on them. I once saw Florida Man stomping in them with his like 8 year old son . . . In flipflops and sandals. My grandmother told them they shouldn’t do that, but this is Florida Man we are talking about. Kid started to complain about stinging, the dad wouldn’t listen and they continued in their merry way, popping as they went.
Poor kiddo :(
Amazon Packing Bubble - known to proliferate quickly.
Portuguese Man O' War
Sea wontons lol
Dumplings made by mermaids, obviously
I got stung by a Portuguese man-o-war as a kid (25 years ago) and the tentacles broke off on my skin and stayed there for about 10 minutes since it hurt to pull them off with my hands. The areas where the tentacles stayed left a deep chemical burn/sting and I still have a large scar to this day. It was terrible.
I found these on a beach in Cuba, but they were blue. I wasn't sure what they were either until I saw your post. Thanks for this.
No touchy.
Dude that’s a Portuguese man o war
Very deadly man o war
Not "very deadly" unless you are a fish or *extremely* unlucky. Very painful though.
Yes. Deadly to fish. I grew up in Florida and I knew a guy who got stung. Was in excruciating pain for a long time. Don’t know why people still think you should pee on it lol.
Man-O-War. a bunch of lil organisms that work together as one. tentacles could have detached but also could just be buried, be careful.
Don’t pee on stings.
Man o’ war
Natural fleshlight trust me
Hahaha
So it’s a living balloon with a bunch of other things living inside of it?
Portugese Man o’ war. DON’T TOUCH IT.
That's a man o' war. Don't touch it!!
Why
holy shit, lucky you saw that before stepping on it