A blue button "jellyfish" beached on a Texas Gulf beach. Photo copyright Kathryn G.
By David McRee of BlogTheBeach.com.
Over the 4th of July weekend I’ve received 3 reports from Texas beachcombers of large numbers of blue buttons (Porpita porpita) washing up on the beach. Two specified that they were on South Padre Island. The photos on this page were sent to me by Kathryn G. who had this to say:
I lived in Naples FL for 8 years and being an avid beach comber and scuba diver I spent tons of time on the beaches from Ft. Myers to Marco Island, the Ten Thousand Islands and the Keys. Last year I moved to Texas and so I am now combing these beaches. Many Blue Buttons have washed up here in the last couple of weeks and I had never seen them before. I used your page to identify them. I am attaching a photo of the top side, which is similar to the photo you have posted, but I am also sending a photo of the bottom side.Thanks for the identification!
Here is what the underside of a blue button looks like:
The underside of a blue button (Porpita porpita). Photo copyright Kathryn G.
Texas and northwest Florida seem to experience frequent strandings of both blue buttons and by-the-wind-sailors. In contrast, they are rarely, if ever, found on central and southwest Florida beaches. The blue button is generally harmless, but I would be careful not to put my hands near my eyes or on sensitive skin after handling one.
Porpita is not a true jellyfish, but is a colonial animal, like the man-of-war, to which they are distantly related. The different parts of the blue button are made up of different animals that all live together cooperatively.
They can be found anywhere on the Gulf coast as well as on the Atlantic coast. I’ve had reports of blue buttons as far north as North Carolina beaches. I would not be surprised if they are found further north than that at times.
Blue buttons are at the mercy of the winds and currents, so weather patterns determine which beaches they end up on.
Kathryn noted that she had never seen blue buttons in southwest Florida, so she used my web pages on Florida jellyfish identification to find out what she had found. My jellyfish pages were cobbled together over the years so they aren’t of the prettiest design, but there is a lot of info there.
{ 47 comments… read them below or add one }
we saw many of the blue button jelly fish on the beaches of port aransas tx over the weekend of the 4th. I had never seen them before on any of the beaches that I have visited.
Can these guys make it to California?? I got stung in Santa Monica today by a baby one of these. It really hurt. Do I have the right type of jelly?
Sierra, Porpita does live in the Pacific Ocean. Whether they exist in the cooler waters of California, I’m unable to determine via online sources. My guess is that they do occur in California.
I have never had a report of anyone being stung by a Porpita. They are generally handled without effects. How bad was your sting? If it was quite painful, like a bee sting, I’d say you are more likely to have encountered a very small man-of-war. They can sting you even when they are only 1 or 2 centimeters in size.
If it was a very mild “sting,” perhaps it could have been a Porpita, especially if you are very sensitive to such things.
No way to know for sure without a photo.
Seeing them right now at south padre. 7-12-09
See them in Rosemary Beach FL today. 7-12-09
i saw 6 washed up on the beach of south padre island today, only in about a 10 yard range. hopefully the portuguese man of wars aren’t out here too. otherwise, we’ll definitely have to stay out of the water..
We found several on the Beach at Galvestone Island Beach today. They were very small like a young one. Our son had one hit him on the arm.
We were so excited to find this information as this is the first time in all our years of coming to Port Aransas to have seen these. One was floating in on the waves (a young one) and at first I thought it was the remains of a kitchen scrubber off a ship. Then we thought it was an anemone of some kind,. I brought it home in a paper cup and while trying to wash off the sand, accidentally dropped it down the disposal What an ending,.
What a great comment Judi! Thanks for sharing your experience. I’ll bet you are the first person in the history of the United States to put a blue button jellyfish down the garbage disposal! You should be in the Guinness Book of World Records or something.
I saw some of these today in Galveston. There are a number of the Man-of-War jellies out here, at first we thought the Blue Buttons were just very small Man-of-Wars. I have just found out that they are not, and glad to know that they do not sting (http://www.usm.edu/gcrl/fisheries_center/Sea_Jellies_MS_Sound.pdf , page 7). Just thought I would share. Thanks.
We saw alot of baby blue buttons in matagorda. There were more than 20 just on shore by where we parked
On Aug 8th we were at Matagorda Beach in Texas and saw a bunch of smaller ones. I had never seen these before. The kids thought they were really cool.
I was at Matagorda Beach this past weekend, on August 8th, and both of my sons were stung by something in the water. We saw several of the blue button jellyfish. Does anyone know what else might have been in the water?
I was at Padre Island off Corpus Christi Texas today and I saw 2 blue button jelly fish. I took a pic of it on the sand and it looks just like the pic you were sent from Florida. I didn’t know what it was but the people that found them thought they were small man of war jellyfish. I’m glad to know they weren’t and that in general they are harmless. I’m more afraid of Jelly fish then I am sharks. I just don’t want to get stung but I get in the water anyway. Thankfully there are some out there that don’t sting you. They are very pretty though in general.
We were at Panama City Beach last week and on Friday 8/14/09 we saw several of these in the water and washing up on shore. We were about waist-deep playing frisbee when the first one was spotted, and one guy turned the frisbee over and used it to scoop it up. As we made our way to the shore with it we spotted several more and he scooped several more up in the frisbee. Exotic looking creatures, with their intensely colored electric-blue tentacles, and I’m glad to know they don’t sting even though we never directly handled them.
I’ve seen Blue Buttons for the very first time here in Port Aranasas. I’ve been coming here and the panhandle of Florida (Seaside) for years and I’ve never seen this little creature before. There’s a really low tide here in Port A over the last few days…does that have anything to do with them washing ashore?
We are on Galveston Beach this weekend and caught two of these Blue Button Jellyfish in a small bucket and had no idea what they were. We enjoyed watching them, but didn’t know what they were. Thanks for the great information that I can pass along to my children!!
We were also at Matagorda Beach on 8/8 and found 10 or so. More info on my twitpic posting. I’ve recently tweeted the link again.
For Andie:
We saw a flat jellyfish (to me looked like a pancake with a dividing embryo…four parts…in the middle) and had the kids get out of the water. One is allergic to ant bites, bee stings, etc. so we didn’t want to take any chances. My husband and I looked around though and saw no more and it seemed to drift away…as I thought it would…and our son got back in. All of a sudden he starts hollering and running around and had some redness on his leg. I think that’s what got him because then we ended up seeing one more. May have been several more and we just couldn’t see them.
Any identification of this one, beachhunter?
So glad to have found this link to find out about the Blue Button Jellyfish!
Hi Miranda,
I looked at your twitpic photo http://twitpic.com/dd38o and yes that is a very small blue button jellyfish. They don’t get much bigger than an inch or two across. The flat jellyfish you saw sounds exactly like a moon jelly. They do have a mild sting. You can read more about jellyfish on my jellyfish pages here:
http://www.beachhunter.net/thingstoknow/jellyfish/index.htm
I also have a video of a moon jelly floating in the water off Santa Rosa beach: http://www.blogthebeach.com/2008/nature/jellyfish/moon-jellyfish-aurelia-aurita-on-santa-rosa-beach
And here are some more moon jelly photos on this blog: http://www.blogthebeach.com/2008/nature/jellyfish/moon-jellyfish-wash-up-on-florida-beaches
Many of these washing up on the shore and in the water of Panama City Beach, Florida. I have been visiting P.C. all my life and never seen these here before. The kids are catching them in nets by the dozens(sad).
Hi Courtney, thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. I know it seems sad that the kids are catching the jellies, but their fate is already sealed. The jellies are stranding on the beach and they are all going to die within a few hours anyway. It’s a great learning experience for the kids. These jellyfish drift with the currents, and once they wash up on the beach their lives are over. Its just nature’s way, although it may seem like a waste of life to us.
henderson beach thair are alote on the beach
I am at Crescent Beach, Anastasia Island, St. Augustine, Florida. I have lived here for 12 years and this is my first sighting of the blue button. Beautiful organism!
Hi Donna, Hurricane Bill probably blew some blue buttons out of the Gulf Stream and onto the beaches over there. I love the St. Augustine area. Hope we’ll have a chance to go back soon. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
I was on the Padre Island national seashore and saw a ton of these little boogers! Got some great pictures too!
Saw a lot of these on Padre Island 9/7/09. Beautiful creatures!
We were at New Smyrna Beach and saw several of these in the water and on the shore edge on August 27th. There were quite a few jellyfish in the water that day. The blue button was just one type….I was able to identify it by your photo. I have several pictures if you need any more.
Thanks Missy, I guess I’ve got enough photos of blue buttons by now. It’s amazing how many people have sent in photos of blue buttons this year. If you’ve got good photos of other jellyfish though, I’d like to have a look at ‘em. You can email them to me http://www.beachhunter.net/contact.htm
We were @ Padre Island National Seashore on Sept. 8 & 9, 2009. We seen several Blue Buttons. At the time didn’t know what they were, I picked one up, after a few seconds my hand felt really weird and kind of went a little numb, didn’t hurt though just felt weird. It was pretty cool!
I live in Chennai(erstwhile Madras), India. We have the second-longest beach in the world. I regularly go to the beach and relax in the waters. Last weekend, I was surprised when i noticed many small blue-coloured organisms on the shore. I had never seen these before. Dead fish, due to getting caught in the fishing nets of the local fishermen was a more common occurance. I took pics of the same, and googled it out. I came to know they were the “Blue buttons” from the web-site “http://www.beachhunter.net/thingstoknow/jellyfish/”. Thanks for the wonderful web-site. This is the first time that i am seeing these in Chennai beaches. Does anyone have any info about previous sightings here?
Thanks.
Hi, I have just returned from a hoiday on Fraser Island, just off the coast of mid-to-southern Queensland, Australia. (25* South) We saw heaps of these washed up. Interesting thing is that the rangers hadn’t seen them before and were trying to find out what they were. I will try to unload a pix to make sure is same creature.
we were at Daytona Beach this weekend, and there were Blue Button jellyfish everywhere. i am glad to hear that this type is not poiseness, since several children were swimming in the water where they were. Everyone was slightly alarmed to see as many as there was. This info. was very helpful.
June 1, 2010. I live in Daytona Beach and was completely perplexed by the seemingly overnight appearance of these Porpita Porpita. I have some excellent pictures if you would like them.
I wonder.. even though their destination is dictated by the wind and tides, could the oil spill have anything to do with their sudden appearance? Also, in addition to the “jelly fish”, thousand of thin white “sticks” washed up.. so far have yet to identify those.
2010 has been a big year for the “blue fleet” on Florida’s Atlantic Coast. They started showing up in huge numbers earlier in the year, way before the oil spill occurred, so no, I don’t see that there is any connection with the oil spill at all. They first made an appearance down in the Miami area, then I started getting reports from Cocoa Beach, and now from northeast Florida. Sure, I’d love to put some of your photos up on the blog. If you’ve got any photos of the “white sticks” perhaps I can identify them. If I can’t, I know someone who can. Thanks for taking the time to share your info.
First week of June – Marineland Florida Beaches has had a large number of the blue buttons, and also a few By The Wind Sailors. Are they related? Different stages of same species? It is just a little unusual to get an invasion of TWO similar but differnet organisms. Just curious.
Hi Dee,
No, they are not “related” as in being members of the same species. However, according to Dr. Blair Witherington, they are both chondrophorines and are members of the phylum Cnidaria. They are distant relatives of the Portuguese man of war, which is a siphonophore. The blue buttons are Porpita porpita. The By-the-wind sailors are Velella velella. They are both known as members of “the blue fleet,” and they all tend to hang out in the same places, so they often tend to wash up in similar locations at the same time.
June 6th we observed quite a few starting to come ashore at Cape San Blas in NW Florida. Very cool animals. Also a few man o wars as well. Blue Fleet well represented here.
We saw them this past week in St. Augustine FL. I was born and raised in Florida and had never seen them before!
We saw the Blue Button on the Shenzhen Coast in the South China Sea. Many many of them floating and washing on shore. I used your website to identify the animal. Thank you!
We spend our summers in Port Aransas, TX and last year I was stung twice in one day at different time by two different types of jellyfish in the same area where 6 – 7 friends were swimming in close approximation – I was the only one that was stung. Last weekend I was stung. My friend was within two feet of me and did not get stung. I was stung on both legs on all occasions. Any idea why it is me each time and not others?
Good question. Did you see what type of jellyfish stung you? How severe was the sting?
It is possible that it is a jellyfish with a sting so mild that it does not affect the average person, and you just happen to be extremely sensitive to it.
If you did not actually see that it was for sure a jellyfish that stung you, it is possible that it was something else. There are all types of tiny stinging creatures that live in clumps of seaweed. If they brush against a person that is very sensitive to their sting, it could be perceived as a jellyfish sting.
My friends and I observed a couple dozen or so of these washed up on the beach here in Emerald Isle, NC around August 16th. I took a picture from which a staff member of the NC Aquarium near here was able to make an identification. They have been seen this far north before but not often according to her. I would upload my picture if I knew how! Fascinating little guys!
8/29/2010 We found blue button’s at North Myrtle Beach last night. The tide was coming back in. Quite a sight!
I live near north topsail beach in north carolina and saw several of these blue buttons today! Had no idea what it was so I told my husband I wanted to google it. My daughter thought I called it a googlyleg so that’s what I called it till I discovered it was a blue button! Lol
They must be touring NC – we saw over a dozen on beach in Corolla, NC. Lifeguards there had not seen them so we bagged one they brought to their Lt. and he identified it as Blue Button.
my husband and I are diving in bonaire right now, and saw a wave of blue buttons going by on the surface, after our dive. the dive guide who has lived here for 20 years, said she had never seen them. we researched “jellyfish” and found all this info. we live on a small island, in cayman, and have never seen them. thanks for the info. gay morse