The Nautilus Project has issued a warning on Portuguese man o’war which are arriving along the Eastern coastline.

A spokesperson said: "Frequently mistaken as jellyfish, the siphonophore Physalia physalis, commonly known as the Portuguese man o'war, has reached our shores once again this year, albeit a couple of weeks later than our first recorded sighting in 2018.

"They have been spotted washing up on our shores by Eastern Beach so caution is advised throughout the whole coastline as they can still have a nasty sting even after death. Dog walkers should also be careful as the bladder can often be mistaken for a plastic bottle and pets can be badly stung. 

"Each bladder is a colony of animals so best think of them as small floating colonies. Each bladder is a collection of four individually specialised animals unlike the true jellyfish! They focus on floatation, reproduction, defence and gastric functions."

The #NEMO app is available on iOS and Android.

Photo by Melanie Soiza-Stagnetto

{fcomment}