What Exactly Is A Portuguese Man-Of-War?

The Portuguese man-of war has made Jersey Shore headlines lately and these creatures have our attention. So what are they exactly?

Reports of them  washing up on LBI, has us asking some questions.  The first thing to know, is a man-of-war is a group of organisms working together, according to National Geographic. Those long tentacles are the second of four organisms that make up the creature.

So, how dangerous are they? According to Nat Geo, the tentacles are covered in poisonous venom, and average 30 feet in length, but can reach to 165 feet. When it comes to humans, the sting of a man-of-war can be very painful, but is rarely deadly.

Experts do warn that a dead man-of-war can still be very dangerous, since, believe it or not, a dead one that has washed up on the beach can still sting. Some experts believe a colony of Portuguese man-of-war may be off the New Jersey coast.