Stumbling across a rare transparent jellyfish would be exciting enough for most British beachgoers.
But a photographer exploring a beach on the Scilly Isles was in for a surprise, after discovering a jellyfish with its prey still trapped inside.
Nikki Banfield, 43, took images of the ‘Mauve Stinger’ washed up at Porth Hellick, St Mary’s on the Scilly Isles.
The jellyfish’s meal – a young mullet – could still be seen inside it.
Nikki, known as BareFoot Photographer, said: ‘It’s always fascinating to see.
‘It’s made even more intriguing and interesting due to the transparency of the jelly.
‘There’s not many instances where you can see the prey of a creature in a predators stomach!’
Several months ago, Nikki captured photographs showing hundreds of thousands of Mauve Stingers that had washed up on on the same beach.
The rare purple jellyfish are only small – but capable of a powerful sting and glow brightly at night if disturbed.
‘The mauve stinger is a small jellyfish, but it certainly packs a powerful punch, with long tentacles and warty structures on its “bell” full of stinging cells,’ the Wildlife Trust explained.
‘Small crustaceans known as amphipods hang out inside the ring of tentacles and are able to survive unharmed.
‘The mauve stinger likes to feed on other small jellyfish and oceanic sea squirts, also known as ascidians.’
Mauve Stingers are fairly uncommon close to UK shores.
However, they may be found offshore and in warmer European waters, such as the Mediterranean.
‘This jellyfish usually appears a bluey purple (mauve) colour with a globe shaped umbrella covered in orangey brown warts,’ the Wildlife Trust added.
‘Long, thin tentacles hang down from around the bell, reaching a maximum of 3 metres.’
Nikki added: ‘Poor fish and poor jelly – it had caught a brilliant meal, only to strand and die itself.
‘A lot of fish live within the tentacles of jellies, to protect themselves from predators, but its a precarious life.
‘One wrong move and they’re lunch!’
The sighting comes shortly after hundreds of jellyfish were found in sea caves off the coast of south Devon, including poisonous species with powerful stings.
Darren Murray discovered the large clusters of jellyfish when kayaking in and out of darkened caves between Sharkham Point and Kingswear in south Devon.
He was shocked when he turned on his torch to find the water was full of hundreds of different types of jellyfish.
Among the species he was able to identify were several that have poisonous stings.
It comes as authorities warn families and holidaymakers to take care on beaches, with official NHS guidance advising to look out for beach signs and not touch or handle sea creatures.