Standup & Portuguese
 

Went out tonight for a quick paddle and saw some large Portuguese man-o-war drifting in. Noticed they had some company, see below ...


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album586/setup_GOPR2178.jpg



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album586/mw1.jpg
Portuguese man-o-war or Physalia physalis and a companion, the man-o-war fish, driftfish or Nomeus gronovii. Each man-o-war I saw had at least one of these and sometimes quite a few other fish in tow.


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album586/mw7.jpg


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album586/mw0.jpg


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album586/mw9.jpg
Tentacles aka "blue-purple pain!"


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album586/mw3.jpg



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album586/mw8.jpg


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album586/mw2.jpg
You looking at me?! Man-o-war fish are indifferent to the toxin of the Portuguese, tough fish.



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album586/mw1_001.jpg
Frequently there were dozens of smaller fish hanging out in around the tentacles.



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album586/mw5_GOPR2040.jpg


And, a short clip of a man-o-war and friends




These guys can inject a painful neurotoxin on contact with the tentacles. It is very painful and can lead to more serious problems based upon location, dosage and susceptibility. More about dealing with man-o-war at: http://www.aloha.com/~lifeguards/portugue.html

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Headed out again yesterday for a paddle from Boynton Inlet to a wreck over a mile up the coast and back. Saw quite a few large man-o-war along the way.

http://www.fksa.org/albums/album586/1_GOPR0081.jpg
The nitrogen filled float or perhaps there is something more exotic in there? This is the wind element or marissa the Portuguese use for getting around. They are windsurfers in their own right. They can control the volume of gas, floatation and shape to a degree on the fly.


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album586/5_GOPR0023.jpg
The tentacles that so many of us are fond of reportedly can extend out in some large individuals to 165 ft. long!


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album586/2a.jpg
Blue all around


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album586/4_G.jpg
A closer look at the mechanics of the tentacles.


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album586/2_G.jpg
The shorter tentacles are gastrozooids or external digestive elements that secrete enzymes to breakdown and dissolve captured prey to where nutirtion can be absorbed. The still shorter tentacles represent sexual and asexual reproductive organs.



http://www.fksa.org/albums/album586/3_G.jpg


http://www.fksa.org/albums/album586/2b.jpg
No large groups of spinner sharks this trip, maybe next time?


Still more man-o-war images and information at:
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?p=47851#post47851
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