Blue Buttons, jellyfish-like marine colonies, washed ashore at Mumbai's Chowpatty as shifting sea currents and winds signal the approaching monsoon. (Pics/ Special Arrangement)
Updated On: 2026-04-30 09:52 PM IST
Compiled by : Anushree Gaikwad
The Blue Button is a small, jellyfish-like organism that lives a free-floating life on the sea surface
This is not a single animal; it is a colony of several ‘zooids’
According to experts, Blue Buttons drift wherever winds and surface currents take them
When sea temperatures rise or cyclonic winds intensify, these floating organisms are pushed closer to the shore, which can be seen as a small but visible sign of changing ocean conditions
Despite their jellyfish-like appearance, Blue Buttons are colonies of hydroid polyps, not a single organism. They drift on the ocean’s surface, carried by winds and currents, and use stinging cells to catch plankton for food.