Physalia phyalis (Portuguese man-of-war) (San Salvador Island, Bahamas) 4 (15896072120)

Description:

Description: Physalia phyalis (Linnaeus, 1758) - Portuguese man-of-war stranded on aragonite sand beach. This organism is not a jellyfish, despite the superficial similarity. True jellyfish are members of Class Scyphozoa (Phylum Cnidaria), whereas the Portuguese man-of-war is in Class Hydrozoa (Phylum Cnidaria). This organism is a colony of hydrozoans. The body is bluish or purplish or pinkish and consists of a gas-filled float plus many long tentacles. The tentacles have numerous nematocysts (stinging cells), used for paralyzing or killing prey. Classification: Animalia, Cnidaria, Hydrozoa, Siphonophora, Physaliidae Locality: shoreilne immediately south of The Thumb, eastern margin of San Salvador Island, eastern Bahamas. Date: 24 March 2011, 09:45. Source: Physalia phyalis (Portuguese man-of-war) (San Salvador Island, Bahamas) 4. Author: James St. John.