Distinguishing Characteristics |
Colonial polyps consisting of a whitish to golden brown circular floating disk with up to 100 cocentric (circling) and radiating air chambers, chitinous, texture is like styrofoam; surface edges of disk with darker color (blue or green); edges of disk with attached blue or green tentacles (actually hydroid polyps), short, medium and long; each tentacle has small branches starting about halfway down its length, each branch ends in a node of stinging cells; a mouth is located underneath its disk. |
Similar Species |
Very similar to the by the wind sailor (Velella velella) but without the sail and with longer tentacles. |
Habitat |
Gulf, floats on the surface |
Maximum Size |
disk up to 5 cm (2 in) |
Other Common Names |
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Previous Scientific Names |
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