Summary ²

Physalia is a genus of the order Siphonophorae, colonies of four specialized polyps and medusoids that drift on the surface of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. Although these organisms look like a single multicellular organism, each specimen is actually a colony of minute organisms called zooids that have to work together for survival. A gas-filled bladder resembling a blue bottle provides buoyancy, and long tentacles of venomous cnidocytes provide a means of capturing prey.

Tamil Name ³

கடல் குமிழி

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Vikas Madhav Nagarajan, all rights reserved, uploaded by Vikas Madhav Nagarajan
2. Adapted by Nanditha Ram Satagopan from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physalia
3. (c) Nanditha Ram Satagopan, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• World Register of Marine Species

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