Life
Genetic analysis shows that there are four varieties of Portuguese man o’ war, or bluebottle, including an Antipodean species that has yet to be named
By James Woodford
The Portuguese man o’war, or bluebottle, exists in different forms in oceans throughout the world
Stephen Frink Collection/Alamy
A new species of Portuguese man o’ war, or bluebottle, has been identified in the waters between Australia and New Zealand, following an analysis of the animals’ genetic diversity across the world.
Bluebottles are colonial organisms with long stingers attached to a blue gas-filled float. They are made up of smaller units called zooids, which are genetically identical but have different roles, such as digestion, reproduction and feeding.
In the late 18th…
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