HOUSTON — Unusual blue globs of sea life have popped up on the shoreline of a Texas beach. They’re pretty at first glance, but don’t let that fool you. Texas Parks and Wildlife officials have alerted beachgoers of “blue button jellyfish” washing ashore during the summer.

“The blue button jellyfish is commonly found floating ashore along the Gulf of Mexico. It has two body parts; the float (main body) and the Hydroid Colony (the tentacles that stick out). The tentacles appear in bright blue, turquoise and even yellow color,” according to the Galveston Bay Area Chapter.

The blue button’s scientific name is porpita porpita, and although similar to a jellyfish, it actually isn’t one at all. Instead, it’s a marine organism that’s a hydroid with a range of zooids clumped together at the water’s surface. So, blue buttons do not swim, they float.

There’s been recent reports of seeing blue buttons at Galveston Island State Park. Officials said the turquoise-colored blue buttons are common to the shoreline in Galveston. They explained, “blue buttons are attracted to the shore by blooms of plankton that provide a supply of food.”

Beachgoers are told to be careful when walking along the shore. When you come across them, it’s better not to touch. Looking is fine, but anything more than that could cause it to sting you and, for some, it may irritate the skin. “These tentacles end in stinging cells called Nematocysts,” shared the Galveston Bay Area Chapter.

Just be sure to remain cognizant when out on the beach’s shoreline, especially while we’re in the summer.