A newly identified species of Portuguese river smelt found in the Tasman Sea

The Portuguese man-o-war, or blue bottle, is found in various forms in oceans around the world.

Stephen Frink Collection/Alamy

An analysis of the genetic diversity of animals around the world has revealed a new species of Portuguese man-of-war, commonly known as the blue-and-white man-of-war, found in the waters between Australia and New Zealand.

Blue flies are colonial organisms with long needles attached to a blue gas-filled float. Blue flies are made up of smaller units called zoids, which are genetically identical but have different roles such as digestion, reproduction, and feeding.

Late 18th century…