Headed out again yesterday for a paddle from Boynton Inlet to a wreck over a mile up the coast and back. Saw quite a few large man-o-war along the way.
The nitrogen filled float or perhaps there is something more exotic in there? This is the wind element or marissa the Portuguese use for getting around. They are windsurfers in their own right. They can control the volume of gas, floatation and shape to a degree on the fly.
The tentacles that so many of us are fond of reportedly can extend out in some large individuals to 165 ft. long!
Blue all around
A closer look at the mechanics of the tentacles.
The shorter tentacles are gastrozooids or external digestive elements that secrete enzymes to breakdown and dissolve captured prey to where nutirtion can be absorbed. The still shorter tentacles represent sexual and asexual reproductive organs.
No large groups of spinner sharks this trip, maybe next time?
Still more man-o-war images and information at:
http://fksa.org/showthread.php?p=47851#post47851
.