Portuguese man of war dermatitis

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This article is about the marine invertebrate. For other uses, see Man O' War (disambiguation).
style="background:#Template:Taxobox colour;"|Portuguese man o' war
File:Portuguese Man-O-War (Physalia physalis).jpg
style="background:#Template:Taxobox colour;" | Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Hydrozoa
Order: Siphonophorae
Family: Physaliidae
Genus: Physalia
Species: P. physalis
Binomial name
Physalia physalis
(Linnaeus, 1758)

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Kiran Singh, M.D. [2]

Overview

The Portuguese man o' war (Physalia physalis), also known as the Portuguese man-of-war, man-of-war, or bluebottle is a marine cnidarian of the family Physaliidae. Its venomous tentacles can deliver a painful sting.

Despite its outward appearance, the Portuguese man o' war is not a common jellyfish but a siphonophore, which is not actually a single multicellular organism, but a colony of specialized minute individuals called zooids.[1] These zooids are attached to one another and physiologically integrated to the extent that they are incapable of independent survival.

Etymology

The name "man o' war" comes from the man-of-war, an 18th-century armed sailing ship,[2] and the cnidarian's supposed resemblance to the Portuguese version at full sail.[3] In other languages it is simply known as the 'Portuguese war-ship' (Template:Lang-nl, Template:Lang-sv, Template:Lang-no, Template:Lang-fi), the 'Portuguese galley' (Template:Lang-de, Template:Lang-hu), the 'Portuguese caravel' (Template:Lang-pt, Template:Lang-es, Template:Lang-it), or the 'Portuguese little boat' (Russian: португальский кораблик).

Habitat and location

The Portuguese man o' war lives at the surface of the ocean. The gas-filled bladder, or pneumatophore, remains at the surface, while the remainder is submerged.[4] Since the Portuguese man o' war has no means of propulsion, it is moved by a combination of winds, currents, and tides. Although it can be found anywhere in the open ocean (especially warm water seas), it is most commonly found in the tropical and subtropical regions of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans. The Portuguese man o' war has been found as far north as the Bay of Fundy and the Hebrides.[5]

Strong winds may drive them into bays or onto beaches. It is rare for only a single Portuguese man o' war to be found; often the finding of one results in the finding of many.[4] Attitudes to the presence of the Portuguese man o' war vary around the world. Given their sting, however, they must always be treated with caution, and the discovery of man o' war washed up on a beach may lead to the closure of the whole beach.[6]

Structure

File:Physalia physalis1.jpg
Physalia physalis

The Portuguese man o' war is composed of three types of polyps and an associated gas-filled air sack called a pneumatophore or "sail".[4] The pneumatophore should probably not be considered a polyp as it develops from the planula unlike the other polyps.[7] This sail is bilaterally symmetrical, with the tentacles at one end, is translucent, and is tinged blue, purple, pink, or mauve. It may be 9  (Expression error: Unexpected round operator. ) long and may extend as much as 15 cm (Expression error: Missing operand for *. ) above the water. The Portuguese man o' war generates carbon monoxide in its gas gland, filling its gas bladder with up to 14% carbon monoxide. The remainder is nitrogen, oxygen, and argon, atmospheric gases that diffuse into the gas bladder. Carbon dioxide occurs at trace levels.[8] The sail is equipped with a siphon. In the event of a surface attack, the sail can be deflated, allowing the organism to briefly submerge.[9]

The other three polyp types are known as dactylozooid (defence), gonozooid (reproduction), and gastrozooid (feeding).[10] These polyps are clustered. The dactylzooids make up the tentacles that are typically 10 m (Expression error: Missing operand for *. ) in length, but can be up to 50 m (Expression error: Missing operand for *. ).[4] The long tentacles "fish" continuously through the water, and each tentacle bears stinging, venom-filled nematocysts (coiled, thread-like structures), which sting and kill small sea organisms such as small fish and shrimp. Contractile cells in each tentacle drag the prey into range of the digestive polyps, the gastrozooids, which surround and digest the food by secreting enzymes that break down proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, while the gonozooids are responsible for reproduction.

Venom

This species and the smaller Indo-Pacific man o' war (Physalia utriculus) are responsible for up to 10,000 human stings in Australia each summer, particularly on the east coast, with some others occurring off the coast of South Australia and Western Australia.[11]

The stinging, venom-filled nematocysts[12] in the tentacles of the Portuguese man o' war can paralyze small fish and other prey. Detached tentacles and dead specimens (including those that wash up on shore) can sting just as painfully as the live organism in the water and may remain potent for hours or even days after the death of the organism or the detachment of the tentacle.[13]

Stings usually cause severe pain to humans, leaving whip-like, red welts on the skin that normally last two or three days after the initial sting, though the pain should subside after about an hour. However, the venom can travel to the lymph nodes and may cause, depending on the amount of venom, a more intense pain.[citation needed] A sting may lead to an allergic reaction. There can also be serious effects, including fever, shock, and interference with heart and lung function. Stings may also cause death,[14] although this is extremely rare. Medical attention may be necessary, especially if pain persists or is intense, the reaction is extreme, the rash worsens, a feeling of overall illness develops, a red streak develops between swollen lymph nodes and the sting, or either area becomes red, warm, and tender.

Diagnosis

Physical Examination

Skin

Treatment of stings

Stings from a Portuguese man o' war may result in a severe dermatitis.[15][16] The Portuguese man o' war is often confused with jellyfish, which may lead to improper treatment of stings, as the venom differs from that of true jellyfish. Treatment for a Portuguese man o' war sting includes:

  • avoiding further contact with the Portuguese man o' war and carefully removing remnants of the organism from the skin (taking care not to touch them directly with fingers or any other part of the skin to avoid secondary stinging)
  • apply salt water to the affected area (not fresh water, which tends to make the affected area worse)[17][18]
  • follow up with the application of hot water (45 °C/Expression error: Missing operand for *. ) to the affected area from 15 to 20 minutes.[19] which has been shown to ease the pain better than ice cold water.[20]
  • if eyes have been affected, irrigate with copious amounts of room-temperature tap water for at least 15 minutes, and if vision blurs or the eyes continue to water or hurt, swell, or show light sensitivity after irrigating, or there is any concern, seek medical attention as soon as possible

Vinegar is not recommended for treating stings.[18] Vinegar dousing increases toxin delivery and worsens symptoms of stings from the nematocysts of this species. Vinegar has also been confirmed to provoke hemorrhaging when used on the less severe stings of nematocysts of smaller species.[21]

Predators and prey

The Portuguese man o' war is a carnivore.[4] Using its venomous tentacles, a man o' war traps and paralyzes its prey. It typically feeds upon small marine organisms, such as fish and plankton.

File:Physalia physalis, Tayrona national park, Colombia.jpg
Portuguese man o' war in Tayrona National Park, Colombia

The loggerhead turtle feeds on the Portuguese man o' war, a common part of the loggerhead's diet.[22] The turtle's skin is too thick for the sting to penetrate.

The sea slug Glaucus atlanticus also feeds on the Portuguese man o' war,[23] as does the violet snail Janthina janthina.[24]

The blanket octopus is immune to the venom of the Portuguese man o' war; young individuals carry broken man o' war tentacles, presumably for offensive and/or defensive purposes.[25]

The ocean sunfish's primary diet consists of jellyfish, but it can also consume Portuguese men o' war.

Commensalism and symbiosis

A small fish, Nomeus gronovii (the man-of-war fish or shepherd fish), is partially immune to the venom from the stinging cells and can live among the tentacles. It seems to avoid the larger, stinging tentacles but feeds on the smaller tentacles beneath the gas bladder. The Portuguese man o' war is often found with a variety of other marine fish, including clownfish and yellow jack. The clownfish can swim among the tentacles with impunity, possibly owing to their mucus, which does not trigger the nematocysts.

All of these fish benefit from the shelter from predators provided by the stinging tentacles, and for the Portuguese man o' war the presence of these species may attract other fish on which to feed.[26]

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ↑ Grzimek, B.; Schlager, N.; Olendorf, D. (2003). Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopaedia. Thomson Gale.
  2. ↑ Greene, Thomas F. Marine Science Textbook.
  3. ↑ Millward, David (8 September 2012). "Surge in number of men o'war being washed up on beaches". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "Portuguese Man-of-War". National Geographic Society.
  5. ↑ Halstead, B.W. (1988). Poisonous and Venomous Marine Animals of the World. Darwin Press.
  6. ↑ "Dangerous jellyfish wash up". BBC News. 2008-08-18. Retrieved 2011-09-07./
  7. ↑ Kozloff, Eugene N. (1990). Invertebrates. Saunders College. p. 116. ISBN 978-0-03-046204-7.
  8. ↑ Wittenberg, Jonathan B. (1960-01-12). "The Source of Carbon Monoxide in the Float of the Portuguese Man-of-War, Physalia Physalis L". Journal of Experimental Biology. 37 (4): 698–705. ISSN 0022-0949. Retrieved 2013-02-12.
  9. ↑ Physalia physalis. "Portuguese Man-of-War Printable Page work= National Geographic Animals". National Geographic. Retrieved 2009-12-07.
  10. ↑ "Portuguese Man-of-War (Bluebottle - Physalia spp. - Hydroid)". Aloha.com. Archived from the original on 2012-05-27. Retrieved 2011-09-08.
  11. ↑ Fenner, Peter J.; Williamson, John A. (December 1996). "Worldwide deaths and severe envenomation from jellyfish stings". Medical Journal of Australia. 165 (11–12): 658–661. ISSN 0025-729X. PMID 8985452. Retrieved 2009-09-04. In Australia, particularly on the east coast, up to 10 000 stings occur each summer from the bluebottle (Physalia spp.) alone, with others also from the "hair jellyfish" (Cyanea) and "blubber" (Catostylus). More bluebottle stings occur in South Australia and Western Australia, as well as stings from a single-tentacled box jellyfish, the "jimble" (Carybdea rastoni)
  12. ↑ Yanagihara, Angel A.; Kuroiwa, Janelle M.Y.; Oliver, Louise M.; Kunkel, Dennis D. (December 2002). "The ultrastructure of nematocysts from the fishing tentacle of the Hawaiian bluebottle, Physalia utriculus (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa, Siphonophora)" (PDF). Hydrobiologia. 489 (1–3): 139–150. doi:10.1023/A:1023272519668.
  13. ↑ Auerbach, Paul S. (December 1997). "Envenomation from jellyfish and related species". J Emerg Nurs. 23 (6): 555–565. doi:10.1016/S0099-1767(97)90269-5. PMID 9460392.
  14. ↑ Stein, Mark R.; Marraccini, John V.; Rothschild, Neal E.; Burnett, Joseph W. (March 1989). "Fatal Portuguese man-o'-war (Physalia physalis) envenomation". Ann Emerg Med. 18 (3): 312–315. doi:10.1016/S0196-0644(89)80421-4. PMID 2564268.
  15. ↑ James, William D.; Berger, Timothy G.; Elston, Dirk M.; Odom, Richard B. (2006). Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology. Saunders Elsevier. p. 429. ISBN 0-7216-2921-0.
  16. ↑ Rapini, Ronald P.; Bolognia, Jean L.; Jorizzo, Joseph L. (2007). Dermatology: 2-Volume Set. St. Louis: Mosby. ISBN 1-4160-2999-0.
  17. ↑ specialist from the University of Southampton appearing on BBC Breakfast program, date: 8am, Tue 19 August 2008.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Slaughter, R.J.; Beasley, D.M.; Lambie, B.S.; Schep, L.J. (2009). "New Zealand's venomous creatures". New Zealand Medical Journal. 122 (1290): 83–97. PMID 19319171.
  19. ↑ Yoshimoto, C.M.; Yanagihara, A.A. (May–June 2002). "Cnidarian (coelenterate) envenomations in Hawai'i improve following heat application". Transactions of the Royal Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 96 (3): 300–303. PMID 12174784.
  20. ↑ Loten, Conrad; Stokes, Barrie; Worsley, David; Seymour, Jamie E.; Jiang, Simon; Isbister, Geoffrey K. (3 April 2006). "A randomised controlled trial of hot water (45 °C) immersion versus ice packs for pain relief in bluebottle stings". Medical Journal of Australia. 184 (7): 329–333. PMID 16584366.
  21. ↑ Exton, D.R. (1988). "Treatment of Physalia physalis envenomation". Medical Journal of Australia. 149 (1): 54. PMID 2898725.
  22. ↑ Brodie (1989). Venomous Animals. Western Publishing Company.
  23. ↑ Scocchi, Carla; Wood, James B. "Glaucus atlanticus, Blue Ocean Slug". Thecephalopodpage.org. Retrieved 2009-12-07.
  24. ↑ Morrison, Sue; Storrie, Ann (1999). Wonders of Western Waters: The Marine Life of South-Western Australia. CALM. p. 68. ISBN 0-7309-6894-4.
  25. ↑ "Tremoctopus". Tolweb.org. Retrieved 2009-12-07.
  26. ↑ Piper, Ross (2007). Extraordinary Animals: An Encyclopedia of Curious and Unusual Animals. Greenwood Press.

External links

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