Physalia, or Portuguese man-of-war. What to do if you are stung by a jellyfish: treatment and prevention

Portuguese man of war or physalia(lat. Physalia physalis) is a floating colony of polyps that looks like a single organism. Its tentacles contain a large number of stinging cells that are dangerous to humans.

Description

Externally Portuguese man of war(lat. Physalia physalis) resembles a jellyfish, only instead of a dome, the physalia has a large bubble filled with ordinary air a large number carbon monoxide, which keeps it on the surface of the water. This bubble in appearance resembles the sail of an 18th-century Portuguese ship, which is why the animal was given the name Portuguese man-of-war. Another important difference between physalia and jellyfish is that, unlike jellyfish, it is not one multicellular organism, but a colonial organism consisting of specialized individual protozoa of the same species, called polyps or zooids. These polyps are connected to each other and are physiologically integrated in such a way that they cannot survive separately and therefore must exist together and act as one animal. In what follows, for simplicity, we will often refer to the man-of-war as one organism, but you must remember that in general this is not entirely true.

The sail of the Portuguese man-of-war is bilaterally symmetrical, with tentacles only on one edge. Translucent. The predominant color is blue or purple, sometimes pink or purple is found. The sail reaches 30 cm in length and can rise 15 cm above the water. It is equipped with a “siphon”, with the help of which the physalia can release air and briefly go under water. This mechanism is used as a defensive reaction when attacked. But natural enemies the boat doesn't have much. Only a few can hunt them - the turtles' mouth is very hard, and the poison does not get into the tissues.

Usually the length of the tentacles does not exceed half a meter. But it is not uncommon for them to grow up to 10 m in length. There are documented cases of discovering Portuguese man-of-war with 30-meter tentacles! These tentacles continuously scour the water in search of small fish and small planktonic animals. The boat pulls the stung prey to the dome, where the digestive polyps, the so-called gastrozoids, which envelop the victim and digest with the help of special secreting enzymes.

Habitat

Found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. Always stays near the surface of the water. Since he has no means of transportation, he moves with the currents and wind. Commonly found in warm tropical and sub-tropical tropical waters, but it can easily be carried into colder northern waters. There are known cases of physalia being discovered off the coast of Canada and Great Britain. Rarely seen alone, and if one Portuguese man-of-war has been spotted, there are almost certainly others nearby.

At high tide you may find yourself close to shore. Strong winds and waves can carry the Portuguese man-of-war onto land. Once on land for some time (up to a day), it is capable of stinging. You can often find news about the closure of entire beaches when, after storms, the coast is left strewn with dangerous animals.

Australia holds the record for the number of casualties among people affected by the Portuguese man-of-war. Every year, especially in summer, up to 10,000 cases of burns (non-fatal) are recorded here. It occurs especially often in east coast continent.

Physalia poison

When burned by the Portuguese man-of-war tentacles, a person experiences very severe pain. Red welts remain at the site of the bite that do not subside for several days. The pain goes away within 1-3 hours, depending on the person’s age and individual tolerance to the poison. The main danger of a bite is that the poison can penetrate the lymph nodes and cause an allergic reaction, including swelling of the larynx, blockage of the airways, and heart failure. Fever and shock sometimes occur, and in rare cases, death.

Medical intervention is required when large quantities burns, difficulty breathing and pain that does not stop for more than 3 hours after the bite. Treatment begins with washing the wounds with a 3-5% vinegar solution (usual fresh water destroys cells with poison, increasing pain) - this removes stinging cells that have not yet been “triggered.” Modern research However, it is not recommended to use vinegar to treat burns, since in some cases it only worsens the symptoms.

Symbiosis

The Portuguese man-of-war swims surrounded by some species of fish that are not susceptible to its poison - juvenile military fish, coolihoo and “homeless” clown fish. The latter can move freely inside the dangerous tentacles of the physalia - because of the fish mucus, the stinging cells do not work. Other fish stay near the sail, where there are not many stinging cells.

It is believed that in this way small fish avoid others predatory fish. But such a symbiosis is also very useful for the Portuguese man-of-war - small fish attract other unwary fish, which it preys on.

Video

Portuguese man of war

Portuguese man of war washed ashore on the beach

Thailand has long been a popular resort among Russians, but physalia in Phuket can turn a vacation into a dangerous pastime. These jellyfish-like creatures have washed up on the northern side of the island, which is why four beaches are already closed. The venom of Portuguese man-of-war is very dangerous, so when choosing a place to stay, you should make sure that representatives of this species are not swimming nearby.

Physalia in Phuket ruined the holiday season

In 2019, physalia washed up on the beaches of Phuket Island, which is why swimming in these waters was banned. Tourists should know that these are poisonous sea creatures, shaped like jellyfish. In fact, they belong to the order of siphonophores, but they are easy to recognize even to an ignorant person.

Representatives of this species are distinguished by their pouches protruding above the surface of the water. They contain air saturated carbon monoxide. The shape and patterns of the bubble resemble a sail Portuguese ships Middle Ages. But the most dangerous part of the physalia is hidden under water, because all the poison is contained in the bright blue tentacles, the task of which is to provide protection and nutrition to the entire organism.

Portuguese man-of-war live in tropical waters, and change their habitat under the influence of water and wind currents. It is for these reasons that physalia attacked the beaches of Thailand, making recreation in these places impossible. The following beaches are closed due to poisonous inhabitants seas:

• Nai-Yang;
• Layan;
• Knighton;
• Mai Khao.

The Phuket authorities responded to the invasion of physalia in a timely manner, which is why serious consequences were avoided. A local resident was the victim of the bite, but the burn was not severe. Tourists will be allowed to swim in these places when the dangerous creatures swim away, but before that, if they want to swim in the sea, they will have to give preference to more southern resorts.

Many may be interested in how often an invasion occurs, because such a phenomenon can significantly reduce the popularity of a resort. As a rule, Portuguese ships wash ashore during the rainy season and only once every couple of years with the winds they reach the northeastern part of the islands during the rainy season. active recreation tourists.

How to deal with physalia poison

Physalia in Phuket have not caused any tragedies, but their tentacles consist of stinging cells that contain a toxin dangerous to humans. It causes severe burns and can also paralyze in the area of ​​contact. This can be especially dangerous away from shore due to the risk of drowning. Whenever allergic reaction the consequences may be more serious, even fatal.

According to reviews from local residents, it is better to fight burns with a weak solution of vinegar, although medicine states that this method helps with jellyfish stings. The venom of the Portuguese man-of-war is different in nature, so it is now claimed that it is much more effective to treat the wound hot water for a long time. After the pain subsides a little, you can apply ice.

What should tourists expect from the invasion of physalia?

Today, Russians who love holidays abroad have questions about how long the Portuguese ships will sail off the coast of Phuket, and how long they will be washed up in the resort area. Give accurate forecast is impossible, since the movement of the population depends on the wind and currents, but usually within a month or two, jellyfish-like creatures change their habitat. They were washed up in Phuket by a storm, and with the current they will again sail into the open ocean.

By latest news the colonies have already left the shores of Phuket, but authorities warn tourists that there is still a risk of encountering these creatures. The waves are capable of washing them back to the shores, so rescuers are still closely monitoring the situation at sea. In November, physalia in Phuket will no longer disturb tourists, so you can enjoy it again beach holiday, do beautiful photos to sea and plan another vacation to good-natured Thailand.

A special and very unique group of the Hydroid class is formed by the subclass Siphonophora. This word denotes free-swimming colonial coelenterates that live in warm seas.
A siphonophore colony is neither a polyp nor a jellyfish. This is a community of many individuals, some of which resemble polyps, others - jellyfish. Each individual of the colony has its own purpose and a corresponding structure. All individuals are located on a single trunk of the colony and are connected to each other by a single digestive cavity.
The most famous among siphonophores is, undoubtedly, the Portuguese man-of-war siphonophora.
Sometimes she is called Latin name physalia (Physalia). The size of the floating colony of physalia is very large. The trunk length sometimes exceeds 1 m, and the longest tentacles grow to a length of 10 meters or more.
Main feature physalia is that the floating colony is not completely submerged in water. A brightly colored gas bubble always rises above the water, keeping the entire organism afloat. Painted in bluish or reddish tones, this gas bubble (in Greek “pneumatophore”) also plays the role of a sail, dragging the siphonophore along with the sea winds. The gas in the bubble is close in composition to air and is released by special glandular cells.
The “sail” of a Portuguese boat does its job no worse than a real sail. On the surface of the pneumatophore there is a special ridge, its shape resembling Latin letter S. Thanks to this ridge, the Portuguese man-of-war is not just driven by the wind across the sea, but constantly turns at an angle to the wind. In practice, this leads to the fact that, after swimming for some time in one direction, the siphonophores suddenly make a coordinated turn and swim in a different, sometimes even in the opposite direction.
Such coordinated maneuvers, simultaneously performed by a large number of siphonophores, resemble the friendly navigation of a flotilla of ships. This is where the name “ship” came from. As for the adjective “Portuguese”, the siphonophores owe their bright coloring to the pneumatophores. It was these bright colorful sails that were on the masts of the ships of the medieval mistress of the seas - Portugal.
Observations of physalia have shown that in the same group of this species there are two forms that differ in the shape of the crest. Driven by the wind, some of the physalia gradually turn to the right, and others to the left. They are called that way - right and left physalia.
Each colony of siphonophores is a single and very complex organism. Below the pneumatophore on the trunk of the colony in in a certain order the remaining individuals are located.
The first to follow are the so-called swimming bells. These are jellyfish individuals that, by pushing water out of the bells, actively move the colony. True, the Portuguese boat does not have swimming bells, and they are not needed, since the colonies move perfectly with the help of wind or sea currents.
Below the medusoids, all siphonophores have nursing polyps. These individuals are able to swallow and digest food. Since the entire colony is united by a common digestive cavity, all the food that the feeding polyps swallow is immediately distributed among all individuals.
Loops are placed next to the nursing polyps. This is the name given to individuals of siphonophores that look like a long (sometimes up to 20 m), often even branched tentacles carrying stinging cells. The lassoes are designed to protect the colony, as well as to catch prey. Finally, there are individuals in which siphonophore germ cells develop.
Although the venom of physalia stinging cells is dangerous for many species of fish, some of them use the tentacles of the Portuguese man-of-war for their own protection. The railfish, common in all oceans, spends almost all its time near the physalia or between their tentacles until it reaches adulthood. Somehow these small fish manage to avoid the action of stinging cells, and they react weakly to the poison of physalia.
Although Portuguese ships are very beautiful, it is not recommended to pick them up. The burn from stinging cells is very sensitive for humans. There are several known cases where physalia caused death. Even individuals washed ashore continue to remain dangerous. Those who have been attacked by physalia have described the effect of the stinging cells as being similar to a blow. electric shock.
sailboat

Previously, zoologists classified the sailfish as a siphonophore, because these animals lead similar image life. However, later scientists decided that these solitary floating organisms are a separate order of the Hydroid class.
Sailboats are animals of tropical and subtropical seas. They live only in those seas and oceans whose water temperature does not fall below 15°C.
Like the Portuguese man-of-war, the sailboat is passively carried by winds and currents. Its strongly flattened body resembles an oval, the long axis of which in adults reaches 10–12 cm. On the upper side of the body there is an elegantly shaped vertical plate - a “sail”. Like the Portuguese man-of-war, the “sail” is somewhat curved, and therefore the sailboat does not sail straight under the influence of the wind, but turns from time to time.
The upper side of the sailfish's body is covered with a chitinous shell and carries a gas bubble - a pneumatophore, which supports the animal on the surface of the water. On the lower, submerged surface there is a mouth opening and many tentacles surrounding it.
The tentacles help sailfish find and catch prey. These coelenterates feed on the larvae of various animals, small crustaceans, fish fry and almost all organisms that make up marine plankton.
Sailfish often form huge aggregations. Sometimes in some place in the ocean you can swim several kilometers, constantly observing sailfish to the right and left of the sides. When this whole mass moves with the wind, it feels like a huge flock of animals is floating.
Unlike jellyfish, swallowtails do not retreat to deeper water before a storm approaches. They fearlessly rush through the raging waves, and if the water turns them over, they immediately return to the correct position.
Amazing feature biology of sailboats is their cohabitation with many marine organisms. Floating on the surface of the water like small rafts, defenseless sailboats are used by other animals for rest, settlement, protection from enemies, reproduction and other purposes.
The most terrible companion for a swallowtail is the predatory yantina snail. Having discovered a sailfish, it settles on the underside of its body and gradually eats it almost entirely. All that remains of the sailboat is a chitinous skeleton. Meanwhile, the predator is looking for a new victim, since sailfish live in large concentrations. To avoid drowning during the search, the snail builds its own raft from the foam it secretes.
In addition to Yantina, others are not averse to profiting from a sailboat predatory molluscs, such as the nudibranchs aeolis and glaucus.
The remains of the sailboat still float on the surface of the water for some time and are populated by new “tenants”: hydroid polyps, small sessile crustaceans, bryozoans, sea ​​worms, shrimp. Crustaceans also sometimes try to eat sailfish.
Small crabs from the genus Planes travel on sailboats, just like on rafts. Aquatic predators they simply don’t see such passengers from the water column. When crabs need food, they move to the underside of the sailfish’s body and try to hunt or simply take food from the owner.
A floating sailfish can serve as a convenient place for some fish to lay eggs. One of the flying fish, for example, places its eggs on the underside of the sailfish's body.

Portuguese man-of-war, physalia, bluebottle jellyfish are the most famous names this jellyfish. Lives in warm waters(Florida, Cuba, Mediterranean, Australia, Japan). Often the Gulf Stream brings them to the shores of England and France. When they accumulate off the coast of England and France or, for example, near the beaches of Florida, television, radio and the press warn the population of the danger.

Jellyfish are poisonous even when washed ashore. The shoots reach a length of up to 10 meters (which is like a thread in the sand).
The "Portuguese man-of-war" got its name from its multi-colored swim bladder, which is shaped like the sail of a medieval Portuguese sailing vessel. The bottom of the bubble is blue, and the top is bright red, while the bubble constantly shimmers with purple colors. The bell of this jellyfish shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow from blue to purple, similar to a rubber cap.




Beauty, however, is deceiving.
Many people mistakenly attribute "Portuguese man-of-war" to jellyfish. In fact, they belong to the order of siphonophores ("siphonophora physalia"), which can only move under the influence of wind and water currents. The length of the Portuguese Man of War tentacles can reach 50 meters, and contact with them can be fatal.

The poison of the "ships" is very dangerous. Allergy sufferers are especially affected by it, who are advised to immediately consult a doctor in case of contact with physalia, otherwise the matter may end in death. The most common consequence of contact with a “ship” is long-term pain at the burn site and inflammation of the wound. A person may develop nausea, chills, and heart pain.
If a person touches it, blisters will appear on the skin like a burn. It will hurt for about 5 hours. Wiping off the mucus will not help, on the contrary, it will only get worse.
Doctors strongly advise not to wash off the poison of the "Portuguese Man of Man" fresh water because it will only make the pain worse. A reliable remedy that will relieve an unpleasant burning sensation is three percent vinegar, which should be moistened with the affected areas.
The general condition will also worsen and will last for several days. When you see this beauty in the water, immediately swim as far away from it as possible. Turtles feed on these jellyfish.


In any case, if you feel a sharp pain, as if from a whiplash or electric shock, you can safely scream. Firstly, from surprise, and secondly, you may urgently need help. Physalia venom is very close in its effect to cobra venom. The introduction of even a small dose under the skin of laboratory animals ended tragically for them. If you are allergic, then help should be immediate; if not, then you should still be prepared for some unpleasant consequences.


First of all, quite long-term pain at the burn site followed by inflammation of the wound. Muscle twitching, chills, nausea, vomiting may develop, all of which can result in pain in the heart. Our famous traveler Yuri Senkevich described his condition after contact with the “ship” as severe and quite long-lasting. And the worst thing is that sea ​​water then it irritates the wound for a long time, and if such a nuisance happened in the first days of rest, then only you can decide what to do. The only thing we can safely advise is to consult a doctor, and not be content with the ointments that will be offered to you at the hotel (along with sympathetic glances).

If you are not vacationing on a vacation package, and for some reason you do not have insurance, do not despair. In most countries there are free hospitals, and some of them give a head start to Russian paid ones. And no insurance is required, which is interesting.


Dangerous Beauty
So, burns are not always fatal, although the Portuguese man-of-war is considered the second most dangerous jellyfish in the world (in the strict sense of the word, it is not exactly a jellyfish, but a whole colony of one or two hundred jellyfish and polyps).
A doctor is desirable, or rather, even mandatory, to relieve intoxication and infection. The mark remains, perhaps, for the rest of your life, but it fades and fades over the years... And who knows, maybe it will become a wonderful memory, or, perhaps, a source of some pride for you?

Even if you are an excellent swimmer, water is always not the most native element for a person. Of course, you shouldn’t be afraid and get lost in it; you just need to strive to love, know and understand it. Like many other things in life, probably.

Physalia either approaches the shore when the wind drives it, then turns the other side and slowly swims away. She is very dangerous - her poison acts quickly and reliably.

   Class - Hydroid
   Row - Siphonophores
   Family - Jellyfish
   Genus/Species - Physalia physalia

   Basic data:
DIMENSIONS
Length: the body is 9-35 cm, the stinging threads are usually 15 m, in very rare cases they can reach 30 m.

REPRODUCTION
As a rule, they reproduce asexually by budding. Polyps separate from the main colony to then create new ones.

LIFESTYLE
Behavior: drifting into the sea.
Food: all small fish.
Lifespan: several months.

RELATED SPECIES
Among siphonophores there are many different types, a number of which are known as physalia. Only in the area Mediterranean Sea At least 20 different species have been found. Other jellyfish are also considered close relatives of Physalia.

   The Portuguese man-of-war (another name for physalia) is actually a colony that consists of different types of polyps of the same species. Each polyp has its own function.

LIFESTYLE

   Physalia often swim in warm seas in groups of several thousand individuals. A transparent bubble sparkling in the sun rises above the water by about 15 cm and becomes like a small sail. What is surprising is the fact that this creature can swim even against the wind without straying from its intended course. Physalia is usually found near the coast, but in warm months year, it also willingly drifts towards the earth's poles. Strong winds that blow towards the coast can even throw it sea ​​creature to land.

REPRODUCTION

   It is not known exactly how physalia reproduces. They found out, however, that it reproduces asexually and that in the colonies there are polyps that are responsible for reproduction. They create new colonies.
   Thus, jellyfish are able to reproduce tirelessly, this explains where such a huge number of jellyfish appear in the seas and oceans. Experts have also suggested that the Portuguese man-of-war, when dying, releases whole clusters of jellyfish into the ocean, which develop sexual products that serve to form new jellyfish.

SPECIAL ORGAN

   The tentacles of the Portuguese man-of-war are armed with a large number of poisonous capsules. They are very small, each of them has a twisted empty tube that is covered with delicate hairs. Any touch of the growth, for example, an accidental touch of a passing fish, sets the stinging mechanism into action. Fibers with a poisonous substance, like small harpoons, pierce the prey while remaining connected to the tentacles; their dangerous venom in its composition resembles that of a cobra. This poison kills fish and causes fever, shock and breathing problems in humans.
  

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

• Physalia is a colony of modified polyps and jellyfish, which, being closely and mutually connected, have all the features of a single organism.
• This jellyfish was called the “Portuguese man-of-war” by sailors of the 18th century, who talked about a creature that floats like a medieval Portuguese warship.
• The most poisonous representative of these coelenterates (stinging insects) is the jellyfish, which can be dangerous even for humans. She lives in Indian and Pacific Oceans.

  

CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF PHYSALIA (PORTUGUESE SHIP)

   An air bubble (pneumatophore) rises above the surface of the water, which serves as a sail for the physalia. It is filled with gas similar in composition to air, but has a high nitrogen content and carbon dioxide and less oxygen. During a storm, the air from the bladder can be released, and then the physalia appears under water. Physalia is characterized by the phenomenon of bioluminescence. She is one of two biological species, which produces red light.
   Often between the tentacles of the physalia there is a small fish from the perch family. It is insensitive to its poison and serves as bait for victims, whom the physalia draws into the field of action of its tentacles. This fish then feeds on the remains of its prey and dead remains physalia tentacles.

PLACES OF ACCOMMODATION
Lives in warm seas, but is most often found in the bays of the northern part Atlantic Ocean and subtropical waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans.
SAVE
It is unknown how physalia is affected by sea pollution and declining fish numbers. However, this is not currently in danger of extinction.