The Blue Dragon and 39 Other Bizarre Creatures That Will Blow Your Mind
Portuguese Man o’ War
The Portuguese man o’ war or Physalia physalis is a hydrozoan found in all oceans except the Arctic. But don’t let its beautiful coloring fool you. It’s highly venomous. In fact, its sting is a reflex, so even a severed tentacle floating on the beach may pose some danger.
Although they share similar characteristics, the man o’ war is not a jellyfish. Instead, scientists describe it as a colonial animal comprising several organisms. Its tentacles are around 30 feet long but can stretch as far as 100 feet. And it was named after the 18th-century wooden ships used by the Portuguese navy.
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