Breaking News: Portuguese Man O’ War Revealed as Four Distinct Species After 250 Years of Misunderstanding

Nothing spoils a beach day quite like the sight of a mysterious creature floating nearby. Many people mistakenly think the Portuguese man o’ war is a jellyfish, but it’s actually a siphonophore. Recent research has revealed that this fascinating creature isn’t just one species—there are four distinct kinds.

Previously, scientists believed that all man o’ wars around the world were the same species. They can be found in the Atlantic, Indian, Pacific, and Southern Oceans. However, genetic studies have now uncovered clear distinctions among them.

According to Professor Kylie Pitt from Griffith University, the findings were surprising. “We assumed they were all the same species,” she said. “But the genetic data show they’re not only different, they’re not even interbreeding, despite overlapping ranges.”

The team analyzed 151 samples from the Physalia genus and found four unique species: Physalia physalis, Physalia utriculus, Physalia megalista, and Physalia minuta. They also used citizen science data from iNaturalist, examining over 4,000 images to spot variations in color and body structure among these siphonophores.

One key insight was that these species have different home ranges. For example, Physalia physalis is typically found in the Atlantic, while P. utriculus spreads across the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Meanwhile, P. megalista inhabits the southern parts of these oceans, and P. minuta is mainly near New Zealand and Australia.

This discovery emphasizes that the ocean isn’t just a vast, unbroken habitat; it supports diverse life forms that are more distinct than we previously thought. The research highlights the importance of using new technology and methods to better understand our oceans.

If you want to dive deeper into this topic, you can read the full study published in Current Biology.

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