Portuguese Man O'War seen on Mallorca and Costa Blanca beaches

MORE Mediterranean beaches have been temporarily shut as a precaution after Portuguese Man O'War were found on their shores.

In the province of Alicante, Benidorm's Mal Pas and Calpe's L'Arenal beaches have been closed to bathers, along with those of Villajoyosa, El Campello and at least one in Alicante city.

So far, only one stinging incident has been reported in the province – an 11-year-old boy from Elche came into contact with one of these poisonous amoeba, but has since been discharged from hospital.

Across the water, Palma de Mallorca has closed its Can Pastilla beach and a bathing zone in the El Molinar district until further notice.

Fortunately, the Portuguese Man O'War does not tend to stay around long in the Mediterranean, since this is not its natural habitat – they mainly live in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

They are very rarely seen in the Mediterranean and, if they are, this is normally during a warm, wet spring after a cold, humid winter when the Atlantic and Mediterranean meet as they start to heat up, typically in late April when they are at the height of their breeding season.

By late spring, they will usually have moved on, and have never yet been seen off Spanish shores for more than three weeks at a time.

Although they look like jellyfish, the Physalia Physalis is in fact a colony of polyps and not technically of the same family – for this reason, this marine hydrozoan is often called a 'fake jellyfish', and their sting is far more severe and can even be deadly.

With tentacles of up to 10 metres (32'6”) long stretching from their 15- to 30-centimetre (six inches to a foot) body, it is difficult to spot them in time before getting stung.

As well as being extremely sore, Portuguese Man O'War stings can cause toxic reactions, including paralysis and even death, as their secretions are harmful to blood cells, the heart and brain.

If seen on the shore, the Portuguese Man O'War should never be touched until it has been dead for at least 48 hours.

In the event of accidental contact or being stung, bathers should get out of the water immediately.

They should rinse the sting with seawater – never fresh water – or vinegar, and avoid rubbing it at all costs, but try to pull out all the 'blue bits' they will see attachd to their skin or swimming costumes.

Victims should then go straight to their nearest A&E department.