# By-the-wind Sailor

*Velella velella*

Velella are actually colonies of specialized polyps, and their sails are 'handed'—some tilt left and others right, ensuring wind blows different parts of the population in different directions.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Cnidaria › Hydrozoa › Anthoathecata › Porpitidae › Velella
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** aquatic
- **Habitat:** Pelagic zone of the open ocean, specifically the surface interface known as the pleuston.
- **Diet:** Carnivorous; feeds on zooplankton, copepods, and fish larvae using trailing tentacles.
- **Range:** Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean Sea
- **Size:** Up to 7-10 cm in length
- **Lifespan:** Under 1 year
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Marine plastic pollution, ocean acidification, and climate-driven changes to surface currents.
- **Safe to approach?:** Generally harmless but defensive. Avoid touching the blue tentacles, as they contain mild stinging cells. If handled, do not touch your eyes or face. In case of a sting, rinse with seawater (not fresh water) and use a credit card to scrape off any remaining tissue. Seek medical attention only if an allergic reaction occurs.

## About

Velella is a monospecific genus of hydrozoa in the Porpitidae family. Its only known species is Velella velella , a cosmopolitan free-floating hydrozoa that lives on the surface of the open ocean. It is commonly known by the names sea raft , by-the-wind sailor , purple sail , little sail , or simply Velella .

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/9ce0dfff-1832-4dda-84d0-f9f33b03ee6c
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/59698
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velella velella
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/94738913/medium.jpg (Niki Hubbard, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.