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Wednesday, February 18, 2015

THE ALIEN-LIKE GLOW OF THE STRANGE MARINE CREATURE KNOWN AS THE PORTUGUESE MAN O' WARS or bluebottle - A jellyfish-like animal with a powerful sting

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  • Photographer Matthew Smith captured the bluebottles on camera at Bass Point Cove in New South Wales, Australia
  • Photographs show the siphonophore’s luminous tentacles glowing brightly beneath the waves
  • Venomous tentacles, used to paralyse prey,  glow because of a natural chemical reaction - bioluminescence 
    • Drifting on the surface of the ocean, jellyfish-like creatures called Portuguese man o' war are feared by swimmers and surfers because of their painful stings. They glow because of a natural phenomenon called bioluminescence
    Feared by swimmers because of its painful sting

    While some fish use their light to lure prey, it’s thought that jellyfish and siphonophores glow as a defence against predators and in the bluebottle’s case, draw attention to its venomous tentacles

    Read more and see additional images


    Describing what it feels like to be stung by bluebottles, Mr Smith said: ‘The stings start out like an electric shock feeling, followed by a stinging, tingling sensation which then dulls to muscle numbness around the area after an hour or two. Here, the creature glows eerily

    The Portuguese man o' war is a carnivore. Using its venomous tentacles (pictured) it traps and paralyzes its prey. It typically feeds upon small marine organisms, such as fish and plankton, but is itself eaten by loggerhead turtles and the blanket octopus, for example

    Mr Smith spent the last 12 months at Bass Point Cove in New South Wales, Australia, photographing the Bluebottles

    Matthew Smith was attracted to the creatures, also known as bluebottles, because of their vivid colouring

    Matthew Smith was attracted to the creatures, also known as bluebottles, because of their vivid colouring


    Mr Smith spent the last 12 months at Bass Point Cove in New South Wales, Australia, photographing the BluebottlesThe photographer

    Matthew Smith spent the last 12 months at Bass Point Cove in New South Wales, Australia, photographing the Bluebottles and suffered numerous stings to his wrists and neck.

    He used an 'over-underwater' technique with a waterproof lens dome he made himself to create his beautiful images. 

    Matthew Smith was attracted to the creatures, also known as bluebottles, because of their vivid colouring. 

    Found in tropical and subtropical waters, the bluebottles live at the water’s surface (pictured left and right) and because they have no means of propulsion, are carried along by currents, winds and tides

     
    What is bioluminescence?
     
    Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism.
    It occurs widely in marine vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as in some fungi and microorganisms such as phytoplankton.
     
    The word comes from the Greek 'bios' for living and the Latin 'lumen' for light.
    Bioluminescence is a type of light energy produced by a chemical reaction.
    Different types of animals use bioluminescence in different ways.
     
    Deep sea squid use it for counter illumination camouflage so they match their environmental light, but Anglefish use it to lure prey with a light-up dangling appendage from their head that draws in smaller fish, which they can eat.
     
    Fireflies use bioluminescence to attract mates by flashing their abdomens, while their larvae use it to repel predators.
     
    Source
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2957042/Beauty-beast-Photographer-captures-alien-like-glow-Portuguese-man-o-war-hunt-fish-night.html
     
     
    More on the Portuguese Man O' War or Blueblottle
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_man_o'_war
     
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