This intriguing wayward visitor washed up on shore late last week. While it looks like a single organism this Portuguese Man of War is actually a colony of specialized organisms called zooids. Each zooid has a unique function – one provides flotation, another serves as defense (the tentacles, which can extend 165 ft below the ocean surface), another works to digest prey and another is responsible for reproduction.
Named after it’s resemblance to a Portuguese warship at full sail, this organism can only survive when all members of the crew are present. Having said that, the tentacles are very important as they have stinging cells filled with venom that are used to stun and kill fish; the tentacles provide the entire “they” with food. For humans, stings are especially painful but rarely deadly. Beware though - even a dead Man of War washed up on the beach can still deliver a painful sting! (Photo: Brittany Waldron, Text: Jason Knight)
6 comments:
Wow, thanks, good to know
They are here for educational purposes.
When you find yourself a mile out and are swimming to get back to shore, and wondering if you can make it, these little helpers seem to find their way to you, and get you swimming again toward your goal. They did me!
About 20 years ago when I was 10 I had an encounter with one of these in Rehoboth. I thought ibwas going to die. I saw it sticking up on the surface about 5ft away from me and remember thinking how cool it was, almost mesmerizing. Then I heard my grandfather (who was about 15ft from me) start yelling swim swim swim! Too late, its tentacles were trailing who knows how far behind it and they wrapped around my thigh causing the most excrutiating pain I've ever known, and I've broken quite a few bones. I immediately started screaming and my grandfather and 2 lifeguards came and pulled me in, all 3 getting stung by the spaghetti string of tentacles around my leg. Had to leave the beach and go to the ER, I was in there for about 6 hours while nurses gave me baths of some type of liquid. That was pretty embarrassing lol. I'm getting the Heebie jeebies while i type this, wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. If you see one of these suckers go the opposite direction the waves are going, you do not want to get stuck in the tentacle trail.
On first glace, I thought that it was a bubblegum colored used condom, which are commonly found on beaches around the World.
Is it a burning sensation like a bee sting or more of a muscle cramp type pain?
These are not the zooids you are looking for.
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