North Carolina coastal towns are warning beachgoers to be on the lookout for Portuguese man o' wars.

Officials in Sunset Beach and Emerald Isle on Friday reported multiple sightings of the venomous marine creatures.

A Portuguese man o' war can deliver a painful sting, even weeks after it washes ashore, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

Officials urge beachgoers not to touch any jellyfish-like animals, even if they look like they’re dead, and to be aware while swimming or walking.

Although Portuguese man o' wars look like jellyfish, and both have stinging tentacles, man o' wars are part of a group of animals called siphonophores that are made up of colonies of smaller animals with specialized functions that work together. Their venom can paralyze or kill their prey, typically small fish and crustaceans, but it is rarely deadly to people.

Strong winds can blow them onto beaches along the North Carolina coast.