The monk's hat jellyfish, also known as the Portuguese warship, is a tube jellyfish. Although the monk's hat jellyfish resembles a jellyfish, it is actually a community containing both the hydra and jellyfish bodies. Each individual is highly specialized, closely related to each other, and cannot survive independently. Being stabbed by a monk's hat jellyfish is extremely painful, compared to bees.
Chinese name: Monk hat jellyfish
Portuguese man o' war
Scientific name: Physalia physalis
Realm: Animal kingdom Animalia
Phylum: Phylum Echinacea Cnidaria
Class: Hydrozoa
Order: Pipe jellyfish Order Siphonophora
Family: Physaliidae
Genus: Physalia
Species: Monk's hat jellyfish P. physalis
Monk's hat jellyfish inhabit the sea level, partly floating on the surface of the water like a sail, and the rest under the water. They cannot generate power and move with wind, water and tides.
The monk's hat jellyfish is composed of 4 species of hydra. One of the hydra bodies is an inflated swim bladder that allows the monk's hat jellyfish to float on the surface. The swim bladder of the monk's hat jellyfish is symmetrical left and right. The swim bladder is 9-30 cm long and can extend up to 15 cm on the surface of the water, and is transparent, pink, blue or purple. They inject gas into the swim bladder.
The gas glands of the monk's cap jellyfish produce carbon monoxide, and the filled maw has up to 14% carbon monoxide. The remaining gases are nitrogen, oxygen, and argon, and the gases in the atmosphere diffuse into the swim bladder. Carbon dioxide occurs at trace levels. Monk's hat jellyfish keep the maw moist to survive, so they are often slightly flipped to keep the surface of the swim bladder moist. To avoid attacks, they can deflate slightly to allow the swim bladder to sink to the bottom of the sea.
Monk's hat jellyfish, which has long tentacles under the maw, can reach a maximum of 22 meters and has an average length of 10 meters. The tentacles have toxin-filled spines that kill tiny marine life such as fish and shrimp. Contracted cells on the tentacles carry prey to the hydra body responsible for digestion. These hydra bodies surround food and secrete enzymes that break down various proteins, carbohydrates, and fats to digest food.
Some fish can live under the tentacles, are completely immune to toxins from stinging cells, and have a symbiotic relationship with the monk's cap jellyfish.
Toxins of monk cap jellyfish
The stinging cells of the monk's cap jellyfish paralyze tiny fish and other prey. Even a dead monk's hat jellyfish or a detached tentacle can still do the same damage within hours.
Monk's hat jellyfish can cause severe pain and leave red whiplash marks that take 2-3 days to dissipate. Its toxins can penetrate into the lymph nodes and cause deeper pain. Stings can also cause allergic reactions and a cascade of effects, such as fever, shock and disturbance of heart and lung function, and in severe cases can be fatal, but rarely occur. The venom of the monk's cap jellyfish becomes acidic, and immersing the monk's cap jellyfish in vinegar will strengthen the thorn cells, that is, increase the transmission of toxins and worsen the symptoms. Monk hat jellyfish is often misunderstood as a kind of jellyfish, so many times affect the effectiveness of treatment.
Predator of the monk's hat jellyfish
The xī (xī) turtle is a predator of the monk's hat jellyfish. Their skin is too thick, and the thorns of the monk's hat jellyfish are difficult to penetrate and inject toxins. Sea slugs and purple snails also eat monk-hat jellyfish.
Blanket octopuses are also immune to the toxins of monk's hat jellyfish and will rip off their tentacles to protect themselves. Sunfish, whose staple diet is jellyfish, also eat monk-hat jellyfish.
mutualism
Many monk-hat jellyfish live with a variety of marine fish, including clownfish and Bartolome trevally. Clownfish can move freely between the tentacles of the monk's hat jellyfish, probably because its mucous membranes do not touch the spine cells. These fish can be guaranteed from the monk's hat jellyfish, and they will attract other small fish as food for the monk's hat jellyfish.
Monk's jellyfish are found in the tropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean, sometimes in the Gulf of Fundy and the Hebrides to the far north. They are frequently found on the beaches of KwaZulu-Natal on the east coast of South Africa and on the south coast of Cape Town. They are also mentioned in the Mediterranean, including off the coast of Spain and Corsica.
They are rarely found alone, often bringing thousands of monk-hat jellyfish to the same sea area due to currents and winds.
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