Results: The Portuguese Man of War and other bizarre creatures

(Source: conservationinstitute.org)This one really is dangerous—very dangerous in fact. Amusingly enough, it is also not a real jellyfish, but rather something called a bluebottle. To add to the amazing strangeness of the Man o' War, it is not even an animal. Technically, it is a colony of organisms. So it is rather appropriate that it has been named after a 17th century naval ship. In a way, it really is like a ship, and the organisms comprising it are like the crew. The name's appropriateness is a coincidence however, since it was inspired by the recognizable crest on top of the organism, which is actually its bladder. The bladder serves an additional purpose of acting as a float, and often sticks up above the water like a sail. Generally these colonies are purple and pink, though they sometimes have a blue tint instead. They are quite elegant and remarkable to behold. The Portuguese Man o' War may be beautiful, but it is also one of the deadliest jellyfish in the world. The sting leaves a welt like a whip mark, which can be very painful for several days. The venom can cause fever and shock, and may cause the heart or lungs to stop functioning. This can cause death. Did you know this creture before this survey?

If you didn't know this creature, would you consider it could be so dangerous?

The sea wasp box jellyfish is the most deadly jellyfish in the world, and one of the most deadly creatures on the planet altogether. It is also known as the marine stinger. Since 1954, 5,568 deaths have been attributed to this jelly. There fifteen tentacles on this type of jellyfish, which may extend ten feet in length. On each tentacle, there are around half a million darts. These microscopic darts are full of venom. Each one could theoretically kill up to 60 people. It is fast-acting, and may cause cardiovascular arrest within a matter of minutes. The pain from the sting itself is incredibly intense, and may cause death even before the venom does, as it can lead to shock. If miraculously you survive a sting from one of these jellies, you will be in an extreme amount of pain for weeks following the encounter. There are many varieties of box jellyfish, all of which can be quite deadly. Aside from box jellyfish though, as you can see, there are really not many dangerous jellyfish. There is the Man o' War (which barely counts), and the Sea Nettle and Lion's Mane jellyfish, but other stinging jellies like the Moon and Cannonball are relatively harmless. Jellies get a bad reputation they don't really deserve. The vast majority are not dangerous to humans. The few that are though are very painful and often deadly. Have you heard about this creature before this survey?

If you found one of these creatures, would you consider it could be life threatening?