The Dangers of Stings from Soft-Bodied Invertebrates

Maybe if you are extra sensitive, just like some people
are alergic to bee stings.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



TheRock wrote on 5/27/2006 7:46 AM:
I've read somewhere by handling zoanthid's you can develop repertory
problems.
(I guess if you don't wash your hands ?)
Is there any truth to that ?

"Radium" wrote in message
oups.com...
A. Symptoms of soft-bodied jellyfish stings (other than Box Jellyfish,
and Portugueuse Man-of-War):

1. Dull itching intense pain diffult to locate
2. Sudden onset of catatonic paralysis without collapse (resembles REM
sleep paralysis; marked by inability to move or localize)
3. Hot, blue (cyanosed), dry skin.
4. Clonic convulsions (marked by slow, deep, and long involuntary
movements and vocalizations)
5. Sudden multidirectional (affect one ear differently than the other;
loss of auditory orientation of direction; artifacts are different in
different directions that sound is perceives [falsely or not]),
auditory mis-perceptions (alteration, deafness, hallucinations)
6. Visual hallucinations differing depending on direction.


B. Symptoms of Portugueuse Man-of-War stings:

1. Sharp localized pain that diffuses
2. Sudden "flash" onset of intense flaccid paralysis (marked by
collapse; inability to move or vocalize)
3. Cold, pale, moist skin
4. Pain increases dramatically when subject mentally "tries" to move
(much like REM sleep paralysis)
5. Sudden, complete, equal bileratal deafness
6. Equal bilateral visual hallucinations

Wayne Sallee wrote in news:44786D4E.5000001
@WayneSallee.com:

Maybe if you are extra sensitive, just like some people
are alergic to bee stings.

No, zoanthids are in fact quite toxic. It is their protective body mucus,
not their sting, which is dangerous.

Yes I know it's the body mucus that is toxic.

So the morel of the story is don't eat your zoanthis, even
if they look good, they are not mushrooms :-)

I'm not going to be afraid to pick up zoanthids, even if I
have a small cut. I would expect it would take quite a bit
to hurt someone unless they were more sensetive to such.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



dc wrote on 5/27/2006 2:18 PM:
Wayne Sallee wrote in news:44786D4E.5000001
@WayneSallee.com:

Maybe if you are extra sensitive, just like some people
are alergic to bee stings.

No, zoanthids are in fact quite toxic. It is their protective body mucus,
not their sting, which is dangerous.

Wayne Sallee wrote in
:

I'm not going to be afraid to pick up zoanthids, even if I
have a small cut. I would expect it would take quite a bit
to hurt someone unless they were more sensetive to such.

I handle them at work almost daily without gloves, and my hands are always
a mess from being in salt all day.

The toxicity of the slime is supposed to be very high, so I suspect it is
less about needing a particular amount in your blood stream than it is
about the fact that the slime is extremely viscous and doesn't leave the
animal very easily, nor does it readily dissolve into the blood stream. I
suspect a wound would have to be gaping for there to be a major risk when
handling zoanthids. According to the literature out there, it wouldn't
take very much of it in your system to do you, or anyone, harm.

It is a naturally evolved protection against being eaten after all, there
is little evolutionary benefit for the animal to kill anything that comes
into contact with it.

I've found that when moving my frogspawn or even touching any area that
it has been in contact with my hands feel slightly 'tingly'. I always
wash them right away.
Any danger in touching frogspawns? I have 1 branch that has 3
different 'sprouts'...possibly 4....

What you are feeling is the stinging cells stinging you.
It won't hurt you. Might make your hand a little sore for
a little while. Usually those stinging cells are not felt
through the tough skin, but can be felt on soft more
sensetive areas. Sometimes I feel it a little like you
described, after picking up a bunch of condilactis
anemones at the wholesaler.


Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



El Scorcho wrote on 5/28/2006 11:59 PM:
I've found that when moving my frogspawn or even touching any area that
it has been in contact with my hands feel slightly 'tingly'. I always
wash them right away.
Any danger in touching frogspawns? I have 1 branch that has 3
different 'sprouts'...possibly 4....

"El Scorcho" wrote in
ups.com:

I've found that when moving my frogspawn or even touching any area that
it has been in contact with my hands feel slightly 'tingly'. I always
wash them right away.
Any danger in touching frogspawns? I have 1 branch that has 3

Frogspawn is an aggressive coral and has powerful nematocyst cells that
will sting and damage other corals placed too closely, but most people
won't feel a thing. It is harmless to people, but you may be more
sensitive than others to its sting.

Washing your hands after having them in a reef tank is a good practice, but
it is probably the only really heat that destroys the venom residing just
below the epidermis which alleviates the tingly feeling.