A 4ft jellyfish - one of the biggest to be found in Britain - washed up on a popular beauty spot on the coast of north Devon. Last Updated: 3:24PM BST 11 May 2009
Experts say the 4ft (1.21m) Rootmouth Jellyfish - nicknamed the Dustbin lid or Sea Mushroom - can cause a painful rash on human skin if in contact with tentacles.
The jellyfish was caught on camera by photographer Peter Stapleton who is keeping the exact location secret to avoid panic.
"A woman came up to me and said there was a huge jellyfish over on the other side of the beach," he said.
"It was the biggest I've seen, about 4ft long with a large body and tentacles.
"As well as people there was other wildlife around it, including herons, but they seemed as puzzled as the rest of us and left it alone."
The species - also known as moon jelly, common jellyfish or saucer jelly - have no bones or brain, and their colourful bodies are 95 per cent water.
They usually grow to around 12 inches (30cm). Jellyfish can swim slowly but are largely at the mercy of the tides and currents.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5308217/4ft-jellyfish-found-on-British-beach.html
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