Many tourists confused blue-and-pink-tinged hydrozoans with plastic bags.
Many tourists confused blue-and-pink-tinged hydrozoans with plastic bags.
30 Dec 2020 — William McGee
Hundreds of venomous Portuguese man-of-war have washed up on Guarau beach in São Paulo, Brazil.
No injuries have been reported so far, despite the species packing a potentially deadly sting.
Experts believe strong winds and waves have resulted in numerous hydrozoans washing ashore in the area in the municipality of Peruibe over the Christmas period.
“They don’t swim, they remain on the water’s surface. They have a bubble, full of air, which gives them buoyancy. Their tentacles remain underwater, and they follow the ‘taste’ of the wind and current,” said local biologist Edson Ventura.
The Portuguese man-of-war (Physalia physalis) is considered dangerous, as its tentacles release a substance that can cause third-degree burns, and in extreme cases cause cardio-respiratory arrest.
Some residents and tourists have been confusing the blue-and-pink-tinged hydrozoans with plastic bags. “I usually visit my sister here in Peruibe. The man-of-war really scared me because they look like they are from another planet. I’d never seen them before. I got really freaked out.”
“I got up really close to them and could see them breathing. It’s really crazy. It’s not something you see every day,” said a tourist Anna Seabra.
Commonly mistaken for jellyfish, the marine creatures are actually a colony of organisms working together to function like an individual animal. Some biologists feel that the man-of-war are attracted to the region and come from the South Atlantic Central Water mass.
“This water is rich in nutrients, and they come here during this time period, in the spring and summer. The water is a lot colder and there are many cnidarians present, as this animal,” said biologist Eric Comin.
It is said that if stung, it is best to apply vinegar to the affected region until proper medical care is obtained.
(Edited by Vaibhav Vishwanath Pawar and Prachi Sibal)
