Portuguese Man o' War swarm over the surface of a Cambrian ocean 500 million years ago.. . During the Cambrian period the Earth's oceans were teaming with life, however with the exception of some microbes, there weren't likely many life forms making an appearance above water. One of the first macro organisms to consistently expose at least part of itself to the world above was the Portuguese Man o' War. Resembling a jellyfish, the Portuguese Man O' War is a siphonophore: a . colony of four kinds of specialized polyps and medusoids functioning together to ensure their mutual survival. The approximately 12 inch long air-filled bladder floating above water buoys an array of stinging tentacles that can descend to over 100 feet.