The Portuguese man of war, Physalia physalis, is one of the most mysterious animals to grace our oceans. Their top half, which floats out of the water, is a gas-filled sac that helps them to remain buoyant and catch winds to travel. Their colorful tentacles are what contain the nematocysts, which are responsible for their painful and powerful venomous sting! Be sure to only admire these from afar!

Art by Fiona Pedrick

[Edited by Isabelle McDonald]

Reference:

Munro, C., Vue, Z., Behringer, R. R., & Dunn, C. W. (2019). Morphology and development of the Portuguese man of war, Physalia physalis. Scientific Reports, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-51842-1