Blaschka "Porpita porpita"

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The Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology Collection boasts a remarkable Model SC-138, an exemplary representation of P. porpita, commonly known as the blue button. Actually, this marine creature is not a single entity but rather a collective of hydroids, frequently misidentified as a jellyfish according to the Encyclopedia of Life. The comprehensive classification for P. porpita is Phylum: Cnidaria, Class: Hydrozoa, Order: Anthoathecata, Family: Porpitidae, Genus: Porpita, and species: porpita. These remarkable organisms inhabit warm waters in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and western Pacific regions. They primarily feed on plankton but serve as a vital food source for nudibranches such as the violet sea swallows, also known as blue angel, blue glaucus, or blue dragon. A glass model approximately 1.5 inches in size, showcasing P. porpita, was crafted by Rudolf and Leopold Blaschka, a father-and-son team, during the late 1800s. This intricate model was created through an extensive process involving over ~350 images pre-processed using Photoshop, modeled with Agisoft Photoscan, and finally completed in Blender (model # SC138march26o).