Portuguese Man-of-War

The Portuguese man-of-war looks like a jellyfish floating on the ocean surface. But it is actually not a single animal at all. It is a colony of many tiny organisms working together. Its long tentacles can deliver a painful sting.

A Colony, Not a Jellyfish

A man-of-war is made up of four types of tiny creatures called polyps. Each type has a different job. One forms the blue float on top. Others make the tentacles, digest food, or create new polyps. They cannot survive apart from each other.

Dangerous Tentacles

The man-of-war's tentacles can trail up to 165 feet behind it. They are covered in stinging cells that paralyze small fish. The sting is very painful to humans but rarely deadly. Even dead man-of-war washed up on beaches can still sting.

Fun Facts

• A man-of-war's tentacles can be up to 165 feet long.
• The blue float on top acts like a sail, letting the wind push it across the ocean.
• Man-of-war stings can still hurt even days after the creature has died.

Did You Know?

The man-of-war fish is immune to the sting and actually lives among the dangerous tentacles! It hides there for protection from other predators.