New sighting of a Portuguese man o’ war (Physalia physalis) in Favignana

A new sighting of a Portuguese man o’ war (Physalia physalis) has been reported on the island of Favignana by a local citizen, who promptly informed the Egadi Islands Marine Protected Area. The MPA immediately alerted ISPRA researchers, initiating the procedures for the recovery and preservation of the organisms for scientific analyses.

The Portuguese man o’ war is a colonial hydrozoan of Atlantic origin that can reach the Mediterranean through the Strait of Gibraltar, carried by ocean currents. In Italy, the most frequent reports come from Sardinia, the Pelagie Islands, and the Messina coastline.

The species is easily recognizable thanks to its pneumatophore, the floating structure visible at the surface, but it also has long, highly stinging tentacles. For this reason, it is essential to avoid contact and to report any sightings to the local Marine Protected Areas or to the dedicated email address alien@isprambiente.it, providing photographic or video documentation.