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Blue Button (porpita porpita). Photo by M. Crowther. Taken on Miramar Beach, FL. Note that there is another, jellyfish just to the left of the blue button. I believe it is a Purple Jelly. Both are in a plastic cup filled with seawater. |
Jellyfish in Florida on BeachHunter.net |
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Beach Safety Menu - Things You Must Know |
Blue Buttons in FloridaMain Jellyfish page | page 2 photos | man-of-war | Blue Buttons | jellyfish stings | video clips of swimming jellyfish
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Blue Button (porpita porpita). Photo by M. Crowther. Taken on Miramar Beach, FL. Note that there is another, jellyfish just to the left of the blue button. I believe it is a Purple Jelly. Both are in a plastic cup filled with seawater. |
Blue Button FactsBlue Buttons are not true jellyfish, but are Chondrophores. These are actually colonies of polyps. In other words, they are like a tiny colony of animals. Each animal contributes something different to the colony. Some form the central disk, while others form the tentacles. Blue buttons exist in colonies, and mass beachings frequently occur since they are at the mercy of the wind and water currents. Blue buttons generally measure 1.5 inches across or less, and are generally dark blue or turquoise in color, although a lemon-yellow color variant is said to occur, though I've never had any field reports of the yellow variation.
Blue buttons, like the Portuguese Man of War, and the By-the-wind-sailor (velella velella), are not true jellyfish, although they are closely related. They are all in the same phylum (cnidaria). What distinguishes them from true jellyfish is the fact that they are, as mentioned above, made up of small colonies of cooperative polyps, rather than being a single animal. Field reports indicate that in general, humans do not feel a sting when coming into contact with Blue Buttons. However, I have received several reports of individuals who say they felt either stinging or skin irritation from contact with Blue Buttons. To view my database on Blue Button (Porpita) sightings reported to me since June 2006, visit my blog post about Blue Button sightings. For more info, see the following sources: Wikipedia article on Blue Buttons University of California Museum of Paleontology page on Chondrophorina
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Above: Blue Button photographed at Navarre Beach, FL. Copyright 2007 Michele B.
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