Portuguese Man o' War
Physalia physalis
A blue-violet gas float trailing long tentacles. Not a jellyfish, and dangerous even when stranded and dry.
- Typical size
- Float 3–12 in; tentacles to 30 ft
- How often it turns up
- Seasonally common
- Collecting
- Protected, do not collect
- Handling
- Possibly venomous
Do not touch, even with a stick that may flick tentacles. Keep children and dogs away. Rinse stings with seawater, not fresh water.
How to tell it apart
- Iridescent blue or pink inflated float with a crest
- Long blue tentacles, sometimes many feet
- Often strands in numbers with onshore wind
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