Thousands of dangerous jellyfish that pack a ‘powerful punch’ sting have been found in Brit waters.
More of the Mauve Stingers – also known as Pelagia noctiluca – were found dead on beaches.
They could not kill humans but give a nasty sting.
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The jellyfish usually live in warmer waters in the Mediterranean 1,000 miles away.
They have long tentacles and a globe-shaped body covered in orangey, brown warts.
They were spotted on a 30 mile stretch of coastline between Falmouth and St Austell, Cornwall.
Rachael Edmans came across them while out paddling in Falmouth.
“I was very surprised to see so many mauve stingers,” she told What’s The Jam.
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“Usually we see lots of compass jellyfish.
“But never that many.”
Alison Wilcock saw thousands near St Austell.
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“We usually get a few every year but nothing like this,” she said.
“The whole of St Austell Bay is teeming with them.”
A Wildlife Trust spokesperson said: “The mauve stinger is a small jellyfish, but it certainly packs a powerful punch.
“With long tentacles and warty structures on its ‘bell’ full of stinging cells.
“Small crustaceans known as amphipods hang out inside the ring of tentacles and are able to survive unharmed.
“The mauve stinger likes to feed on other small jellyfish and oceanic sea squirts, also known as ascidians.”
In September, a group of British swimmers was forced to call off a 31-mile sea crossing after being attacked by thousands of the creatures.
Sara Harris, Nick Board, Stewart Douglas, Steve Copper and Jacqui Woodward were 15 hours into the swim when it happened.
They had to abandon the sea, covered in stings, with just 3.8 miles to go.
