Metazoa info

[Duke Guilmon]

Portuguese man o' war



Physalia physalis

Size: Has 50m long tentacles. 

Weight: No data

Life expectancy: Despite the name it can be found around ocean waters from Portugal to South africa, in the Atlantic, Indian and pacific ocean. They are seen floating across the water. 

When it first appeared: No data



Taxonomy:

Class: Hydrozoa
Subclass: Leptolinae
Order: Siphonophorae
Family: Physaliidae
Genus: Physalia
Species: Physalia physalis

Diet: This animal is a carnivore, and feeds on small fish and plankton

Anatomy: This animal is well know for its venom. The sting of this man o' war can paralyze fish and prey with its sting. Even detached stingers can sting. They are also not one animal but a colony of animals.

Behavior: It floats and eats, that's it. 

Reproduction: Not much is know about when these animals mate. They do reproduce sexually, and release eggs and sperm. The eggs have been floating in deep water. 

Relationship with other animals: The man o' war is important for many animals. The man o' war fish, clown fish, and the yellow jack benefit living in the stingers, in turn the fish protect the man o' war from predators. The portuguese man o' war is prey to glacus atlanticus, the ocean sunfish, and the logger head turtle. The blanket octopus will take the stingers of the portugese man o' war



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Other sources:

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/an...an-of-war/

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/portu...o-war.html

http://eol.org/pages/1005764/details