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Brit beachgoers have been warned to stay away from a "fearsome predator" that was spotted on a UK coastline earlier this week.

The killer Portuguese man o'war was seen washed up on Porth Dafarch beach in Anglesey, North Wales, by dog walkers John Whittaker and wife Chris on Wednesday (October 4). After the pair posted a photo of their find on Facebook, one person wrote: "How can something so pretty make you want to run away screaming?"

It's not the first time the "false jellyfish" has been found in the UK. In fact, sightings are most common in September and October when the temperature of the sea reaches its peak, reports NorthWalesLive.

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People have been warned not to touch the animals, who boast a powerful sting capable of killing fish – and in rare cases, humans. And it's not just North Wales on high alert. South Hams District Council in West Country, England, issued a warning after man o'wars were seen on its shores.

"These colourful and fascinating animals are closely related to jellyfish, with a translucent purple float, tipped with pink, and long blueish-violet tentacles," the authority said on social media. "While they are rarely deadly, they do give a very nasty sting even long after they are dead.

"This sting can cause painful swelling welts when in contact with the skin. So, how can you help? Keep children and dogs away and don’t touch."

Anglesey Sea Zoo echoed the warnings. It: "If you see one, please steer clear of it as they can sting very seriously – even when dead. Also bear in mind that the tentacles can be 10-20 metres long!"

Even in cases where a man o'war sting doesn't prove fatal, it can have devastating effects. One man, a 58-year-old French swimmer, was hospitalised for 10 hours after coming into contact with the creature.

Several people leapt to the man's rescue and pulled him from the water. His lungs shrank after he was stung and he began experiencing convulsions, but he fortunately survived the encounter.

While man o'wars might sound similar to jellyfish, they are in fact a colony of different individual animals, rather than one being. Their stings can leave red welts on the skin and cause severe pain.

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