Beachcombers Field Guide - Department Of Fisheries Western ...

Bluebottle
Cnidaria – Hydrozoa
The bluebottle is not
a single animal but a colony of
animals that depend on each other for
survival. Some animals are specialised
for feeding, digestion and reproduction,
and one polyp (or animal) produces the
gas-fi lled fl oat. Drifting on the ocean
currents, feeding on small fi sh and other
animals, the main tentacle can range up
to 10 m in length.
Did you know?
Warning – even a bluebottle
washed up on the beach can
infl ict a nasty sting!