Alert after Portuguese man o' war reports

Despite looking similar, the Portuguese man o' war is a siphonophore, not a jellyfish

Beachgoers are being urged to be careful following reports of Portuguese man o' war washing up on Sussex beaches.

Hastings Borough Council shared the warning about the potentially-dangerous type of siphonophore, similar to the jellyfish.

"It is important not to touch them, as stings can be very painful and in rare cases potentially fatal," the authority said in a post to X, formerly known as Twitter.

Sussex Wildlife Trust said the sightings could be linked to recent stormy weather.

The Portuguese man o' war lives on the surface of the water, using its balloon-like float as a sail to propel it along, with long tentacles trailing underneath to capture prey.

The unusual name for the species comes from the shape of the sail which, when inflated, looks like an 18th Century Portuguese battle ship.

A spokesperson for the trust said the creatures are likely being washed up onto Sussex shores due to recent strong winds and storms.

"Portuguese Man O’ War float on the surface of the water and cannot swim, so they are swept along by the wind and currents," they said.

"They get washed up on the south coast of England when caught in strong westerly winds."

The trust has urged people to "admire these beautiful creatures from afar".