A LARGE adult cuttlefish was spotted washed up on Rhos-on-Sea Beach on Tuesday (June 25).

Jane Wynne, who took the above photo, said her Jack Russell dog, Maisie, spotted the creature initially, and said it measured roughly 18 inches in length.

She said: “It was approximately 3pm on Tuesday when I was walking my Jack Russell on the water’s edge, parallel to the Cayley Embankment.

“I noticed lots of small jellyfish, then Maisie noticed that!

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“It obviously had started to smell, as it was covered in flies. I quickly pulled her away and was quite shocked to find exactly what this sea creature was.

“I started chatting to a couple of holidaymakers, also with a small dog, to warn them just in case it could still sting, then decided to take a photo and research it myself.

“The Rhos-on-Sea community have been a huge help in identifying and explaining that the zebra cuttlefish dies after laying eggs, so it was a natural death.”

Frankie Hobro, of Anglesey Sea Zoo, confirmed based on Jane’s photo that it is an adult cuttlefish.

“They are actually quite common in our British seas, but rarely seen,” she said.

"This is definitely a fully-grown adult - females can grow up to 25-30cm in length and males reach up to 45cm. A fully-grown adult like this can weigh 2-4kg!

"Although they are common in our seas, cuttlefish are rarely seen as they are masters of camouflage - often referred to as the 'chameleons of the sea' due to their colour-changing abilities.

"They can change the colour of their body mantle to match their surroundings and they can also change the texture of their skin for even better camouflage."