A member of the highly venomous jellyfish species, the Portuguese man o’ war, has been spotted on the southern coast of Malta.

Renowned marine biologist Alan Deidun took to Facebook to provide some details of the sighting.

“The species enters the Mediterranean from the Atlantic through the Straits of Gibraltar each year, being propelled by westerly winds,” he said.

This is the 12th sighting of the highly venomous Portuguese man o’ war in Maltese waters since 2009.

The floating colony of polyps is considered to be “the most dangerous species in the Meditteranean” and has thin blue tentacles that can grow up to 20 metres long, according to the University of Malta’s Online Jellyfish Identification Manual.

“Bathers should get out of the water immediately once it is spotted. Its venom is thermo-labile and its stings should be treated locally with hot packs,” the manual read.

Last month, a Portuguese man o’ war was also spotted by Lampedusa.

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