{"id":5081,"date":"2022-08-17T10:08:49","date_gmt":"2022-08-17T10:08:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/picosdeaventura.com\/?p=5081"},"modified":"2022-08-17T10:26:57","modified_gmt":"2022-08-17T10:26:57","slug":"caravela-portuguesa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/picosdeaventura.com\/en\/2022\/08\/17\/caravela-portuguesa\/","title":{"rendered":"The Portuguese man o\u2019war"},"content":{"rendered":"

We've all heard about it and we've all seen the portuguese man o\u2019war (Figure 1), both in the water and on the beach.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Figure 1 \u2013 Portuguese man o\u2019 war (Physalia physalis)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

But what exactly is the portuguese man o\u2019war?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It looks like a jellyfish, but belongs to a completely different group of animals \u2013 the siphonophores \u2013 but while jellyfish is a single individual, siphonophores are a colony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The individuals in the colony are called zooids and, like a colony of ants where each one has a function, in siphonophores, zooids are also specialized in \u201clocomotion\u201d, others in digestion, others in hunting and others in reproduction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone has to work together for the colony to thrive and no zooid can survive alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most species of siphonophores live in deep water, but in the case of the Portuguese man o\u2019 war this species lives on the surface, going to deeper waters to look for food or protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Physalia physalis<\/em> , is the scientific name of the Portuguese man o\u2019 war and this colony is formed by four types of zooids:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

- Pneumatophore \u2013 creates the \u201cballoon\u201d that can be seen on the surface of the water and that has the ability to inflate or leak, depending on the weather conditions or the demand for food. It can reach 9 or 30 centimeters in size;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

- Dactiozooids \u2013 form the tentacles, which can be between 20 and 50 meters long. They are the hunting device, as they contain numerous microscopic \u201charpoons\u201d from which the venom comes out to immobilize the prey (small fish);<\/p>\n\n\n\n

- Gastrozooids \u2013 digest food; \n\n- Gonozoids \u2013 responsible for reproduction.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Figure 2 \u2013 Four types of zooids (Source: https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-019-51842-1#Fig1<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

This species prefers warm waters and can be found in the Azores, Madeira, Pacific and Indian Oceans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They got their name because they remind us of the old ships \/ caravels that were sailing through the ocean at the time of the discoveries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike jellyfish that can swim, they can have their own locomotion, Portuguese man o\u2019war depend on the wind and currents to move. The \u201cballoon\u201d that can be seen out of the water is the only mechanism that allows this species to move in the water, due to external actions (wind and current).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its venom causes very strong pain, burns that can be of the third degree and if a very serious allergic reaction develops, we can suffer from arrhythmias and tissue necrosis (death).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even when they are not sand, care must be taken because the poison can remain active. In case of contact, here is what you should do after washing and cleaning the affected area with sea water:<\/p>\n\n\n\n