Deadly Inverts

[Manolo_AP]

Spent the afternoon passing time at work reading back issues of Coral Magazine.

One issue really caught my attention.
July/August 2012
It featured an article titled deadly inverts. And spoke at length on the deadly toxins many of our favorite aquarium inhabitants have. Most notably the palytoxins in zoanthids and palys.

One interesting point the article made is that sometimes we may have a sublethal brush with these toxins and not even know it or may attribute it to something else. Like a weird rash that appears after some tank maintenance which well ignore. Etc.
Anyway, Just wanted to hear any interesting stories my fellow aquarist may have.

 

[Waleedwale1]

Got "stung" by a torch and an anemone. Both times had a small cut and was handling the coral. The torch was much worse, turned the area blue and swollen for like a week.

 

[Manolo_AP]

Wow. Didn't realize that was possible. I handle them all the time with no issue, but a cut does change things i guess. Will def take more care when handling nems and torches.

 

[Jhoehlein]

I've gotten nailed a few times on the underside of my wrist where the skin is thin. Mostly anemones, but I got roughed up by a stylo (yup a stylo) a few weeks ago. I've fortunately avoided palytoxin so far, but I'm pretty careful around them. I know enough people who have suffered through it to know it's no joke.

 

[MWoodhill]

i can show you the scar from an anemone sting. it still looks bad almost 1 week later

 

[Manolo_AP]

Wow. Can't tell you how many times I've handled my anemone with no issue. I guess I've just been lucky. Please explain the stylo incident lol. That one is confusing for me lol

 

[Manolo_AP]

i can show you the scar from an anemone sting. it still looks bad almost 1 week later

Let's see it!

 

[reefs4life]

I've gotten some bad stings throughout the years, mainly from all the anemones I keep. Got a couple on my forearm and one time I stuck my hand in a carpet to try and save a fish and I have the imprints of every single tentacle all of my hand including my finger nails. I have a thread on here somewhere with the pics. It hurt but it went away pretty quick.

The most uncomfortable and secretely toxic stings I think are from bristleworms. If I even as to graze one of them or accidentally grab a rock and not notice there is one under the rock, it usually irritates me a few minutes later. Fingers usually swell for about 2-3 days and usually moderately itchy for at least the first day. I think I can also blame them for a causing full body rash since September till now, got millions of tests at the doctors and there's no other explanation. Stay away from bristleworms!!!

 

[reefs4life]

Ahhh here's the thread with the picture

http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/general-discussion/57113-pretty-bad-anemone-sting.html

 

[Manolo_AP]

Holy crap! Wow insane. Yea I'm scared of the bristles. Never been stung yet ::knock on wood::

 

[Jhoehlein]

Wow. Can't tell you how many times I've handled my anemone with no issue. I guess I've just been lucky. Please explain the stylo incident lol. That one is confusing for me lol

Was fragging up a big mother colony. I usually use a band saw, but this particular colony was about the size of volleyball so it wasn't going to fit. I was cracking off large branches with coral cutters and using my other hand to stabilize the colony. On a particularly stubborn branch I palmed it a bit too much and brushed my wrist against it a few times. Didn't think much of it until later in the day when I noticed several angry welts. Just goes to show that even a fairly innocuous coral can give you a good beating if you let it touch you in the wrong places.

 

[Manolo_AP]

Wow that goes to show you Dont mess with nature. Since were on the subject of crazy I once was pruning a mangrove that was getting too big for my sump I was.holding it by the roots as I was about to clip it. At the exact moment I cut into it I felt a small jolt of electricity on my hand holding the root. I could never explain this.

 

[MWoodhill]

Wow that goes to show you Dont mess with nature. Since were on the subject of crazy I once was pruning a mangrove that was getting too big for my sump I was.holding it by the roots as I was about to clip it. At the exact moment I cut into it I felt a small jolt of electricity on my hand holding the root. I could never explain this.

precaution and disclaimer: it probably looks gross but definitely is a cruel reminder you always gotta wear a glove for deadly inverts:

i was removing a huge red carpet and it literally wrapped my forearm up. this is what the sting left on it after more than 1 week

 

[Cu455]

I had someone come to my house the other day for macro. As I was bagging it I dropped a bristle worm. I picked it up and put it in the bag. The person was shocked it didn't hurt me.

Not a invert but here are some pictures from when I got stung by a stingray.

 

[Manolo_AP]

Oh man that's bad? Scuba diving on vacation?

 

[viplok]

cu455
holy cow.. those graphical image should be censored. :thrash:

 

[Manolo_AP]

Yea. Def some nasties. I heard a story of a girl who went partially blind because of a paly that squirted palytoxin in her eye. Always wear goggles man.