As adults, there are some things that we know not to do—and one of these is touching jellyfish.
However, one man on TikTok appears to have missed this memo, as he filmed himself licking a bluebottle that had washed up on beach.
Social media user Alexa Reed, known online as Alexa_reed2, appears in the footage picking up the jellyfish and saying: "Hey guys I'm at the beach, and look what this is.
"This is a jellyfish, look how long the sting is. I am going to grab it then I am going to lick it. "
He then touches the body of the creature with his tongue, jokingly exclaiming: "Ah it stung me, anybody want to pee in my mouth? I got stung by a jellyfish."
Shockingly Reed then says: "Let's do it again," before licking the animal for a second time.
However, what the TikTok user most likely did not know if that the bluebottle jellyfish, known also as the Portuguese man o' war, is very dangerous.
The animal is particularly prevalent in Australia, where it is responsible for an average of 10,000 human stings each summer.
This usually causes severe pain, and occasionally the venom can travel to the lymph nodes causing airways blockage, inability to breathe, and cardiac arrest.
It is also possible to cause fever and shock, and in some cases, a sting may even result in death.
The video— which was captioned "still alive guys LOL"—has been viewed over 35,900 times since being uploaded on May 9.
@alexa_reed2 #fyp #foryoupage #paratupagina still alive guys LOL 😂
♬ original sound - Alexareed
TikTok has added an alert across the video, which reads: "The action in this video could result in serious injury"
Many took to the comments section to share their horror at Reed's actions.
One person, Random101010, wrote: "That ain't no jellyfish... it's a blue bottle, it literally has the nickname 'floating terror'."
Another social media user, known as PM, added: "You are playing with your life. Do you know what that is?"
A third, Xayvion Yarbrough, directed his concern at the two small dogs playing behind Reed in the video. He wrote: "I'm praying those dogs don't touch it."
A fourth, Morgan-Paige, typed: "That is NOT a jellyfish!! It's a Man of War! Hella dangerous dude!!"
Another TikTok user, Mndiaye_97, responded to a previous clip Reed had posted of himself licking the animal with a video of warning.
He said: "This is why women live longer than men, s*** like this.
"That is not a jellyfish, it's a Portuguese man o' war, also known as the bluebottle, also known as the floating terror.
"The venom can cause excruciating pain for up to three days, leaving a nasty, whip-like welt as a souvenir.
@mndiaye_97 #stitch with @alexa_reed2 #ohno #nature#ocean
♬ original sound - Mndiaye_97
"But honestly, you're lucky if that's all you get because the venom can trigger an allergic-like reaction that results in throat-swelling, heart issues and difficulty breathing, as you suffocate, possibly to death.
"Getting stung by a man o' war is nowhere near a death sentence. Most of the time if treated quickly, it's very survivable.
"But even though getting put in a coffin by one is rare, the agonizing pain that comes with it might make you wish it wasn't."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
