A ferocious jellyfish with terrifying tentacles was washed up at the south end of Newgale Beach last Thursday, September 7.
Haverfordwest artist, Mara Swift, spotted the stinger believed to be an Atlantic Portuguese man o' war also known as the man-of-war, blue bottle, or floating terror.
Its body was about 15 centimetres in length, with the tentacles stretching three or four metres. Mara reported the sighting to the Marine Conservation Society.
The creature, which can deliver a powerful, and sometimes, fatal sting is not actually a jellyfish but a collection of interdependent organisms.
It lives on the surface of the ocean and the gas filled bladder on top of it acts as a sail, meaning the creature travels according to the winds, currents, and tides.
It is most commonly found in the open ocean in in tropical and subtropical regions but there have been sightings further north.
Beach goers are being advised to keep their eyes open as a single Portuguese man o'war can be followed by others in the vicinity.
Anyone spotting a man’o war should not touch it and report it to HM coastguard on 01646 690909. The coastguard will then contact the relevant agency.
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