These are just 2 of several Portuguese man o' war washed up on a Devon beach last summer after a storm at sea. They were active and their beautiful colouring stayed strong despite being stranded out the water. They used their tentacles to search the beach for food giving them the appearance of an alien life-form. The Portuguese man o’ war, Physalia physalis, is not a jellyfish,but actually a siphonophore, comprised of a colony of specialised, genetically identical individuals called zooids with various forms and functions, all working together as one. Each of the four parts of a man o’ war is responsible for a specific task, such as floating, capturing prey, feeding, and reproduction. Found mostly in tropical and subtropical seas, men o' war are propelled by winds and ocean currents alone, and sometimes float in legions of 1,000 or more! 
Resembling an 18th-century Portuguese warship under full sail, the man o’ war is recognised by its balloon-like float, which may be blue, violet, or pink and rises up to six inches above the waterline. Below the float are long strands of tentacles and polyps that grow to an average of 30 feet and may extend by as much as 100 feet. The tentacles contain stinging nematocysts, microscopic capsules loaded with coiled, barbed tubes that deliver venom capable of paralysing and killing small fish and crustaceans. While the man o’ war’s sting is rarely deadly to people, it packs a painful punch and causes welts on exposed skin.