# Little sail (*Velella velella*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/little-sail  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The little sail (Velella velella) is an animal in the jellyfish and corals subgroup of other invertebrates, placed in the family Porpitidae. It belongs to the phylum Cnidaria, class Hydrozoa, order Anthoathecata and suborder Capitata, within the genus Velella. Other English names for it are Purple sail, By-the-wind-sailor, By-the-wind sailor and Jack sail-by-the-wind. Its scientific name carries the authority (Linnaeus, 1758).

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | up to 7 cm |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | marine |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Cnidaria
- class: Hydrozoa
- order: Anthoathecata
- family: Porpitidae
- genus: Velella
- species: *Velella velella* (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms: *Armenista sigmoides*, *Holothuria spirans*, *Medusa pocillum*, *Medusa velella*, *Rataria cordata*, *Rataria mitrata*, *Velella antarctica*, *Velella aurora*, *Velella australis*, *Velella caurina*, *Velella cyanea*, *Velella emarginata*, *Velella indica*, *Velella lata*, *Velella limbosa*, *Velella meridionalis*, *Velella mutica*, *Velella oblonga*, *Velella oxyothone*, *Velella oxyothone var. brachyothone*, *Velella oxyothone var. oxyothone*, *Velella pacifica*, *Velella patellaris*, *Velella pyramidalis*, *Velella radackiana*, *Velella sandwichiana*, *Velella scaphidia*, *Velella septentrionalis*, *Velella sinistra*, *Velella spirans*, *Velella tentaculata*, *Velella tropica*, *Velella vella*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the little sail?

The little sail is an invertebrate in the jellyfish and corals subgroup. It belongs to the phylum Cnidaria and the class Hydrozoa.

### What is the scientific name of the little sail?

The scientific name of the little sail is Velella velella, in the genus Velella.

### Who named Velella velella and when?

Linnaeus named it in 1758; the authority is written as (Linnaeus, 1758).

### What other names does the little sail have?

The little sail is also called Purple sail, By-the-wind-sailor, By-the-wind sailor and Jack sail-by-the-wind.

### What family does the little sail belong to?

The little sail belongs to the family Porpitidae, in the order Anthoathecata and suborder Capitata.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Little sail (Velella velella). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/little-sail