JAMAICA BEACH, Texas – If you have spent any time at the beaches on the Texas Gulf Coast, chances are you have seen jellyfish either in the water or washed up on the shore.
However, there is another creature similar to a jellyfish that is often mistaken for one, but it actually isn’t.
Recommended Videos
The City of Jamaica Beach posted on Facebook Monday warning the public to be cautious while walking on the beach due to an infestation of Portuguese Man o’ War.
These creatures, although similar to a jellyfish, are actually a different species called a siphonophore. Contrary to being one single animal, a siphonophore is actually a colony of specialized, genetically identical individuals called zooids, according to NOAA.
The Portuguese Man o’ War is distinctive because of its balloon-like float, which rises out of the water and is used like a sail against the wind to move the creature.
Similar to jellyfish and just as painful, below the sail are long strands of tentacles which are used to deliver venom capable of paralyzing and killing small fish and crustaceans.
While stings from a man o’ war are rarely deadly to people. they can still be very painful and can cause welts on exposed skin.
If you see a Portuguese Man o’ War washed up on the beach, be aware they can still sting you weeks after it has washed ashore. So look, but don’t touch.