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Portuguese man-of-war, Physalia physalis
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Portuguese man-of-war, Physalia physalis
Portuguese man-of-war, Physalia physalis. Physalie atlantique. Handcoloured steel engraving from Felix-Edouard Guerin-Menevilles Dictionnaire Pittoresque d Histoire Naturelle (Picturesque Dictionary of Natural History), Paris, 1834-39. Portuguese man-of-war, Physalia physalis. Physalie atlantique. Handcoloured steel engraving from Felix-Edouard Guerin-Menevilles Dictionnaire Pittoresque d Histoire Naturelle (Picturesque Dictionary of Natural History), Paris, 1834-39
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Media ID 23180092
© Florilegius/Mary Evans
Atlantique Creature Dhistoire Dictionary Dictionnaire Felix Edouard Guerin Meneville Jellyfish Man Of War Naturelle Physalia Physalis Pittoresque Poisonous Portuguese Sting
EDITORS COMMENTS
This exquisitely hand-colored steel engraving depicts the enigmatic and beautifully intricate Portuguese man-of-war, Physalia physalis, also known as the Bluebottle jellyfish or Physalie atlantique. The image is taken from Felix-Edouard Guerin-Meneville's Dictionnaire Pittoresque d'Histoire Naturelle (Picturesque Dictionary of Natural History), published in Paris between 1834 and 1839. The Portuguese man-of-war is a fascinating marine creature, not actually a true jellyfish but rather a siphonophore, a colonial organism made up of numerous individual zooids. Its distinctive features include a translucent, blue-tinged, bell-shaped float, which can reach up to 30 cm in diameter, and long, trailing, blue-purple tentacles that can extend up to 30 meters in length. The Portuguese man-of-war is renowned for its venomous sting, which can inflict painful welts and even cause fatalities in humans. The tentacles are lined with nematocysts, tiny, harpoon-like structures that inject venom into their prey, primarily small fish and plankton. The creature's stinging cells can remain active for an extended period, even after the tentacles have been detached from the main body. Despite its intimidating appearance and potentially dangerous sting, the Portuguese man-of-war plays a crucial role in the marine ecosystem as a top predator and contributes to maintaining the balance of the food chain. The intricate details of its anatomy and behavior continue to fascinate scientists and naturalists, making this engraving a valuable historical record of our ongoing exploration of the natural world.
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