Pink meanies spotted on Florida and Alabama beaches

DAUPHIN ISLAND, Ala. (WALA) - If you’ve been on social media in the past week, you’ve probably seen pink jellyfish officially known as “pink meanies”. But what is it?

According to the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, it was first spotted in the gulf in the early 2000′s.

But it was in 2010 when the new species got its name. They only eat other jellyfish, but they can still sting, and that’s something that Titan Clevinger found out a few days ago.

“There was a little part of a jellyfish. It got my arm. It felt like a bee sting,” Titan Clevinger said.

“He was in a lot of pain. And when it really started showing up on him, it started welting. It just made circles around his arm in welts,” Patricia Clevinger said.

Titan and his family are visiting dauphin island, and they were shocked when they found out what stung him.

“It looks like a big old beautiful pink fluffy cotton candy. They’re very hard to see when the water is kind of murky. It got hung on my friend’s toe. When she kicked her foot, we knew exactly that it was the pink jellyfish,” Clevinger said.

Thankfully titan is okay and back in the water, but purple flags are still flying as a warning that these pink meanies may be nearby.

The pink meanie can get very large. Just like all jellyfish, you are advised to avoid them.

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