Velella velella (Linnaeus, 1758)
(By-the-wind Sailor, By-the-wind-sailor)

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesVelella velella (By-the-wind Sailor, By-the-wind-sailor)
FamilyPORPITIDAE (a family of hydrozoans)
OrderANTHOATHECATA (an order of hydroids)
SubclassHYDROIDOLINA (a subclass of coelenterates)
ClassHYDROZOA (hydroids)
PhylumCNIDARIA (hydroids, jelly fish, sea anemones, jellyfish)
SubkingdomEUMETAZOA (metazoans)
KingdomANIMALIA (animals)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
Records of Velella velella (By-the-wind Sailor, By-the-wind-sailor) :
1: Velella velella (By-the-wind Sailor, By-the-wind-sailor)
11 Dec 2015 OSGR: SZ09 50° 40’ N, 1° 50’ W Vice County: South Hants (VC 11) England
numerous, dead, washed up animals.
Image 1: Dead animal - lateral viewImage 2: Dead animal - oblique viewImage 3: Recently dead animal - oblique viewImage 4: Recently dead animal - oblique view (2)Image 5: Recently dead animal - ventral viewImage 6: Recently dead animal - ventral view (2)

Identification Works

AuthorYearTitleSource
Marine Conservation Society Jellyfish Survey
Trewhella, S. 2007 By-the-wind Sailors Vol 18 (3) Page: 212

Velella velella (By-the-wind Sailor, By-the-wind-sailor) may also be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Velella velella (By-the-wind Sailor, By-the-wind-sailor)
BioInfoBioInfo (www.bioinfo.org.uk) has 3 host/parasite/foodplant and/or other relationships for Velella velella (By-the-wind Sailor, By-the-wind-sailor)

A cosmopolitan free-floating hydrozoan that lives on the surface of the ocean. It is blown around by the wind. A rigid sail-like appendage projecting from the upper surface acts as a sail. Mass strandings regularly occur on the west coast of Ireland and occasionally elsewhere.

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