Portuguese Man-of-War (Physalia physalis) — Physalia physalis (Portuguese man o' war) in Praia de Ril (Burela, Lugo, Galicia, Spain).

Creator: [Fernando Losada Rodríguez](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Drow_male), CC BY-SA 4.0. Licence: [CC BY-SA 4.0 deed](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en).

Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0

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Species record

Portuguese Man-of-War

Physalia physalis

Explore the Portuguese Man-of-War (Physalia physalis) species record in The Ark Is Earth, including classification, habitat, distribution, conservation information, and sources.

Summary

The Portuguese man-of-war is a floating siphonophore colony, not a single jellyfish. Its gas-filled float rides tropical and subtropical seas on winds and currents, while long tentacles capture small fish and crustaceans.

Classification in this archive

Kingdom: Animals
Phylum: Cnidarians
Class: Hydrozoans
Order: Anthoathecata
Family: Physaliidae
Genus: Physalia

Habitat and distribution

Selected documented locations — not a complete species range.

Habitat: surface waters in tropical and subtropical seas, sea-air interface (pleuston)
Selected regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America

Conservation status

Conservation status not recorded.

Did you know?

A Portuguese man-of-war is a colony of specialized zooids, with different parts handling floating, feeding, prey capture, and reproduction.

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Sources and attribution

General
NOAA Ocean Service — What Is a Portuguese Man o’ War?
Accessed 2026-10-02
Habitat
Peer-reviewed study — Morphology and development of the Portuguese man of war
Accessed 2026-10-02