STONE HARBOR — Please be alert when walking on the borough’s beaches.
There have been sightings of Portuguese man o’war along the New Jersey coastline and beachgoers are advised to know what the species looks like and use caution when one is encountered.
According to a borough release, the Portuguese man o’ war is not a jellyfish.
Although it looks like a single animal, the Portuguese man o’ war is actually a colony of animals. The colony comprises several different types of genetically identical animals called zooids.
The Portuguese man o’ war is unable to physically propel itself through the water. Instead, the colony is moved around by winds, ocean currents and tides.
The Portuguese man o’ war’s venom is potent, and contact with its tentacles can cause severe pain and whip-like injuries. However the sting is rarely life-threatening.
If a Portuguese Man O’ War is encountered do not touch them as their sting remains potent even in dead colonies and detached tentacles.
Be careful if one is seen washed up onto the beach.
