Head to head
Deepstaria vs Portuguese Man o' War
Deepstaria
VS Portuguese Man o' War
Both are unusual gelatinous ocean drifters, but one is a single deep-sea jellyfish while the other is not really one animal at all.
| Deepstaria | Portuguese Man o' War | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Deepstaria enigmatica | Physalia physalis |
| Single animal or colony | A single jellyfish | A colony of four specialised zooid types |
| Feeding method | Folds its sheet-like bell around prey to engulf it | Stings and paralyses prey with long trailing tentacles |
| Body shape | An enormous, thin, sheet-like bell | A gas-filled float trailing long tentacles |
| Habitat depth | Deep, dark ocean water | Floats at the ocean surface |
| Danger to humans | Not known to be harmful | Delivers an intensely painful sting |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Not Evaluated |
| Habitat | Ocean | Ocean, coastal |
Deepstaria vs Portuguese Man o' War: common questions
Is the deepstaria a colony like the Portuguese man o' war?
No, the deepstaria is a single jellyfish, while the Portuguese man o' war is a siphonophore, a colony made up of four different types of specialised zooids that function together as one unit.
Which one poses a sting risk to humans?
The Portuguese man o' war poses the sting risk, its long trailing tentacles delivering an intensely painful sting, while the deepstaria is not known to pose any comparable danger to people.
Which one lives at the surface and which lives in the deep sea?
The Portuguese man o' war floats at the ocean surface, carried by the wind, while the deepstaria lives in deep, dark ocean water far below, rarely observed directly by researchers.