Close-up of the tentacles of a Portuguese man o' war (Physalia sp.). Although it resembles a jellyfish, it is actually a siphonophore, a colonial organism made up of several types of organism known as zooids, each with a specialised function. Like a true jellyfish, it catches its prey with long tentacles, which can extend to as much as 30 metres from the gas-filled bladder that keeps it afloat. The tentacles paralyse small fish, which are moved to the much shorter feeding tentacles, which digest the prey. The sting is extremely painful, and has resulted in human fatalities. The Portuguese man o' war is found in oceans around the world, and can be found blown onto beaches where wind conditions permit. Even when dead and beached the tentacles can deliver their stings. This specimen was collected on the Pacific coast of Australia | |
Lizenzart: | Lizenzpflichtig |
Credit: | Science Photo Library / Chee, Francis |
Modell-Rechte: | Derzeit liegt noch kein Release vor. Bitte kontaktieren Sie uns vor Verwendung. |
Eigentums-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Länge: | 48 Sekunden |
Seitenverhältnis: | 16:9 |
Restrictions: | - |