This species is one of the largest and certainly the most dangerous Australian anemones," study says

Imagine taking a nice stroll on a spotless beach and coming across one of the ocean's deadliest animals.

Walking her dogs along the sandy beaches of Broome, in northwest Australia, Dianne Bennett came across an unusual sight, the Miami Herald reported.

At first, what seemed to be a group of eels tucked into the shallow waters during low tide turned out to be the Dofleinia Armata, more menacingly known as the "armed anemone."

Its uncommon, purple, tentacle-laden form hides a hidden danger: a sting that may cause agonising wounds that could take months to cure.

Bennet told the local media: "I discovered it while walking my dogs in an intertidal area at very low tide. My initial thought was, 'There's a weird bunch of eels going down a hole.'"

According to a report published in 2004, "This species is one of the largest and certainly the most dangerous Australian anemones. Contact with it can produce extremely painful wounds that may take one to several months to heal."