Portuguese Man o' war, jellyfish-like organism, spotted on Wrightsville beach

A Portuguese Man o' war was spotted on North Myrtle Beach and Wrighstville Beach.

The organism is known for its long tentacles and being highly venomous. While frequently being called a jellyfish, it is actually a siphonophore. That means the man o' war is not one organism, but many different organisms living and working together while attached to each other.

The man o' war's tentacles can reach up to 165 feet in length. The National Weather Service of Wilmington tweeted the man o' war found on North Myrtle Beach had tentacles 16 feet long.

Its tentacles are painfully venomous but are hardly ever deadly to humans. A sting can cause severe pain, skin lacerations, convulsions and respiratory distress.

The organisms that make up the man o' war are sometimes found in groups of 1,000 or more, the National Geographic said.