Sapphire Button Jellyfish [Porpita porpita]
Description
The Sapphire Button Jellyfish, also known as the Blue Button Jellyfish, is a marine organism consisting of a colony of hydroids. It is characterized by its bright blue color and a disc-shaped float that can grow up to 3 cm in diameter. They are typically found in the tropical and subtropical parts of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, floating on the water's surface. While they are not true jellyfish, they are a part of the same phylum (Cnidaria). They feed on plankton and small crustaceans. Their sting is usually harmless to humans but can cause irritation.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Jellyfish, Sea Anemones, and Relatives
Cnidaria
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Hydroids, Fire Corals, and Stinging Anemones
Hydrozoa
|
| Order |
Leptothecata
Leptothecata
|
| Family |
Air ferns
Campanulariidae
|
| Genus |
Sapphire Button
Orthopyxis
|