'Look, don't touch': Cute but potentially painful blue dragon creatures wash up on beaches

A warning for spring breakers: Beware of these stunning creatures of the sea. Beach-goers may be tempted to pick up the tiny beauties, but doing so can result in a painful sting.

Spring breakers and general beachgoers are spotting a creature washing up on crowded Texas beaches that they've never seen before, prompting experts to issue a warning about the blue glaucus, also known as the blue dragon.

The blue dragon (Glaucus atlanticus) is a type of mollusk also known as blue sea slug, blue angel, and sea swallow. It is found on the surface of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans and other tropical waters throughout the world.

Blue dragons are tiny, rarely growing larger than an inch. The creature floats on its back using an air bubble in its stomach to stay on the surface of the water. The blue side of its body blends with the ocean, helping camouflage it from predators above, and its silver side faces downward to blend with the water's surface, keeping it invisible to predators below.

Although they appear adorable - some even say they are reminiscent of Pokémon - people are advised not to catch these creatures.

The Harte Research Institute - dedicated to the conservation of the Gulf of Mexico - has issued warnings to all beachgoers; the little critters pack a big sting.

"Warning: do not touch the blue dragon!" Harte posted on Facebook. "Each spring when we get strong southeast winds blowing in, we get a wave of man o' wars, by-the-wind sailors, blue buttons, and the organisms that feed on them, blue dragons."

So just how strong is the sting of a blue dragon?

"It would be 3 to 5 times what a man 'o' war sting would be," marine biologist and Harte's director of community engagement Jace Tunnell told Today on NBC. "You will know immediately if you are stung by a Blue Dragon. It will be intense pain. It will feel like somebody has needles that they are scraping across your skin."

Blue dragon stings can cause nausea, vomiting and disorientation. If you're stung, pour vinegar or warm water on the site, but don't get in the water or rub it with sand.

If you're headed to the beach, experts say you should warn your children to look but don't touch. Tunnell said, "Leave it alone...Take photos of it, but do not touch it."

The Harte Research Institute said there will be many more blue dragon sightings this spring.

"This is just the first “blue wave” of these organisms washing in together. You can expect to see this happening more as we get into spring, with strong southeast winds blowing them onshore. Happy beachcombing!

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