What is this squishy sea creature?

[CairoCarol]

My husband says there were lots of them on the beach at some resort in Vietnam. Although they look hard, he says they were squishy to the touch. Despite having been on many beaches around the world, he’d never encountered this before.

I promised him that Dopers would give him the answer within 24 hours of my post. So, here is the picture - please offer any info/theories you’ve got!

[Colophon]

Porpita porpita, aka “blue button”.

Porpita porpita, commonly known as the blue button, is a marine organism consisting of a colony of hydroids[2] found in tropical and sub-tropical waters of the Pacific,[3] Atlantic, and Indian oceans.[4] Although it is superficially similar to a jellyfish, each apparent individual is actually a colony of hydrozoan polyps. The blue button is a Chondrophore, which is a group of cnidarians that also includes Velella and Porpema. The chondrophores are similar to the better-known siphonophores, which includes the Portuguese Man o’ War.

[LSLGuy]

24 hours my butt!

Try 44 minutes flat. With a cite. Nice job Colophon!

[CairoCarol]

@LSLGuy

Nice job Colophon!

Nice indeed! Thank you Colophon. My husband is both extremely impressed and very happy now.

[Senegoid]

It took a lot less long than she thought!

[gnoitall]

@Colophon

Porpita porpita, aka “blue button”.

And extra credit for coming up with a cite that fits gloriously into a verse of the name game:

PORPITA!

Porpita pita bobeeta
Banana fanna fo-fita
Fee-fie mo-mita,

PORPITA!