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Physalia Physalis
The Portuguese Man of (o’) War is a species of siphonophore found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific ocean. One individual is a colony of polyps. Some are responsible for creating the gas filled float, while others form the stinging cells and digestive system. It is capable of deflating in case of surface attack. It floats about the ocean waiting for something to get caught within its tentacles. If it detects a fish, the muscular tentacles grab onto the fish and begin pulling it in. The fish slowly liquifies. The sting of a Portuguese Man of War can be neutralized by vinegar, although you should still visit a doctor if you have been stung. They are preyed on by loggerhead sea turtles, and even the tiny Blue Sea Slug. The Sea Slug eats the stinging cells and uses them for its own defense.
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