The beauty of ‘the blues’

Writer: Anina Lee.

As I write this we are well into the extended period of lockdown and we are all experiencing a touch of the blues. But let’s not dwell too much on that and look at some fascinating marine animals generally known as ‘the blues’.

1. ‘The blues’ float at the sea surface and because they have no means of propulsion they are at the mercy of sea currents and the wind.

The blues, as might be expected from the name, hang out in the deep blue ocean. Or perhaps more accurately, they sail the seven seas. The blues all have some sort of floatation device that allows them to float at the sea surface. And yes, they really are blue, the colour being camouflage against predators spotting them on the surface from above.

2. Most people are familiar with the bluebottle (Physalia physalis), also known as Portuguese Man o’ War, which often wash out on beaches.

3. This bubble-raft shell (Velella velella) is also called a ‘by-the-wind-sailor’ because of its translucent triangular vane that acts like a small sail.

4. The bubble-raft shell (Janthina janthina) is a beautiful violet sea snail.

5. The Blue Dragon (Glaucus atlanticus), locally known as a ‘sea swallow’, has an even more powerful sting than the bluebottle. PHOTO: mnn.com

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