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The Portuguese Man o' war is the only species that belongs to the family Physaliidae. These marine hydrozoans (Hydrozoa is a class made of very small, predatory animals) can be found in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The Portuguese man o’ war is member of the neuston community. This type of community consists of the species that live at the surface of the ocean. You may think this is one animal, and looks just like a jelly, but just like the siphonophores, the Portuguese Man o' war are colonial and consists of small units of species called zooids (on one of the slides there is a picture I found on the internet to help explain how this creature looks.). These small units of zooids hang in cluster under what’s called a pneumatophore; a pretty, translucent, “bubble” that has a hint of blue, purple, pink, or mauve color, and is filled with both carbon monoxide (produced by the animal) and atmospheric gases (nitrogen, oxygen, and noble gases). The pneumatophore is what we all see on the surface. It is used to assist with buoyancy and sailing since this colony does not have a means of locomotion. These small colonies of zooids are protected by the tentacles that are filled with venomous nematocysts (stinging cells) that can fill a fish, sometimes a human. This species is known for washing onto beaches so please be careful if you ever encounter one. Do not touch the animal!
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