Reef Chemistry Question of the Day #130 Portuguese Man-of-War

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Reef Chemistry Question of the Day [HASHTAG]#130[/HASHTAG]

The Portuguese Man-of-War (Physalia physalis) is a jellyfish-like creature with a gas-filled bladder that helps it to float on the surface of the ocean.

Which gas does it produce to inflate this bladder?

A. Carbon dioxide
B. Carbon monoxide
C. Nitrogen
D. Water vapor
E. Oxygen
F. Hydrogen

Good luck!























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[Vaughn17]

carbon monoxide.

 

[redfishbluefish]

I'm going to guess that the gas is part of its respiratory process, and therefore is carbon dioxide.

 

[jsker]

here is your answer; The Portuguese man o' war generates carbon monoxide in its gas gland, filling its gas bladder with up to 14% carbon monoxide. The remainder is nitrogen, oxygen, and argon, atmospheric gases that diffuse into the gas bladder. Carbon dioxide occurs at trace levels

Reference http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_man_o'_war

 

[beaslbob]

glad someone know that.

 

[usc_lax9]

B

 

[kireek]

B,I guess. Now the title of this artwork makes sense to me,thanks @Randy Holmes-Farley !

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

And the answer is...B. Carbon monoxide

Seems surprising and strange that it would use this gas, but it is much less soluble in seawater than is carbon dioxide, so that may be part of why it is used for this purpose.

 

[beaslbob]

better the methane I guess.

Interesting

 

[brandon429]

i cannot fathom the natural selections that drove this. can you imagine the aeons of selection it took for a random chng to make it a monoxide capture vs a respiratory gas