In a tale as old as time, a TikTokker appears to have filmed themselves messing around with one of the most venomous animals known to humankind.
On X (formerly Twitter), the account “daily aquatic lovelies” posted an image of the incident, explaining how deadly the creatures are.
The video appears to be from the now-deleted account ariann-tudor, though stitches of it still exist, again to explain how deadly it could have been.
Despite appearances, Portuguese man o’wars are not actually jellyfish. They are siphonophores, which are made up of a colony of clones called “zooids”, all performing different functions.
The creatures float through the ocean, trapping small fish on their tentacles for food, while the “bladder” at the top floats them, filled with gases including carbon monoxide. When a fish or other crustacean is caught, they are digested in “bag-like stomachs” located underneath the float.
The tentacles, which reach around 9 meters (30 feet) in length, are where the paralyzing venom lies. Though deadly to small fish, it is rarely deadly to humans. However, it can be excruciatingly painful, and cause you breathing difficulties as well as chest pain. What’s more, they can sting you days after their own death.
All of this is to say that, should you ever happen across one, one of the worst things you can do is scoop it up in a flimsy plastic cup and then pet it. The absolute worst thing you could do is to lick it.
Source Link: TikTokker Puts Deadly Man O'War In A Cup, Then Pets It
