Beaches in west Cornwall are being invaded by venomous sea creatures - which look like Cornish pasties.

Three of the creatures, which are the same shape as a pasty with a perfectly formed crimp on top, have washed up so far.

But beach-goers have been warned to stay away as they are believed to be Portuguese man o' wars, which are a jellyfish-like species, known as hydrozoans.

The man o' war is so named because of the powerful sting they can deliver, and visitors to Portheras Cove near Penzance are being warned to be careful.

An image of the sea creature was shared on social media by a community Facebook page called Friends of Portheras Cove.

They said: "This Portuguese man o' war was one of three found in the cove this morning, brought in by the on-shore winds.

"A stranded Portuguese man o' war can still pack a very powerful sting - the blue tentacles at the base of the creature bed down into the sand, but are still carrying the venom.

"Please admire from a distance if you see any and don't let your children or dogs near them.

"They are a species of hydrozoans (not jellyfish) and are in fact a colony of creatures living together in harmony!"

People who read the post were quick to point out that the creatures look like Cornwall's most famous product, the pasty.

While they may look like a jellyfish, Portuguese man o' war are actually a colony of organisms working together.

They can be up to 12 inches long - but their tentacles can grow up to a staggering 165ft long.

National Geographic says the venomous Portuguese man o' war are often mistaken as jellyfish.

Putting the record straight, its website says: "Not only is it not a jellyfish, it's not even an 'it,' but a 'they'.

"The Portuguese man o' war is a siphonophore, an animal made up of a colony of organisms working together.

"The tentacles are the man-of-war's second organism. These long, thin tendrils can extend 165 feet in length below the surface, although 30 feet is more the average.

"They are covered in venom-filled nematocysts used to paralyze and kill fish and other small creatures.

"For humans, a man-of-war sting is excruciatingly painful, but rarely deadly. But beware - even dead man-of-wars washed up on shore can deliver a sting."