Swarms of compass jellyfish with nasty sting washing up on Welsh coast

Swarms of compass jellyfish are turning up on the Welsh coast as temperatures rise.With orange and brown markings, many were spotted on a beach in Newport, Pembrokeshire, at the weekend prompting locals and visitors to ask what they were.The compass jellyfish - or Chrysaora hysoscella - gets its name from the distinctive brown markings which look just like a compass.

They can give a nasty sting so it's best to admire them from a distance.

They are common in Welsh waters between May and October when the sea temperature is in double digits.

By July the sea temperature in Pembrokeshire reaches 14°C and will peak at just over 15°C in September.Typically 30cm across, the compass jellyfish feeds on small fish, crabs and even other jellyfish.

Their sting is slightly stronger than many of the more milder jellyfish species.

The compass jellyfish has a bunch of frilled oral arms below the bell and long thin marginal tentacles around the fringe of the bell.Once they've stung something, they often leave the tentacle behind and can continue to sting using it even when not connected to their body.