by Joe Rowlett | Apr 6, 2018 | Corals
Palythoa=BAD... Xenia=Good by Joe Rowlett | Mar 31, 2018 | Corals, Science
Why a dose of palytoxin might not be so bad by Joe Rowlett | Jan 1, 2017 | Corals
Palys and Zoas are two of the most abundant and popular types of soft coral in the aquarium trade, but they come with a small drawback… they’re potentially deadly. To varying degrees, these corals contain one of nature’s most potent poisons—palytoxin—which is capable... by AquaNerd | Dec 9, 2015 | Corals, Reef, Science
Pink Hearts Palythoa The Pink Hearts Palys are a beautiful morph with red and pink centers and a contrasting skirt. Â Pink and red are two of the more less common colors we see in corals so if you are a zoa or paly collector then this one might be one of your favorites after it begins to reproduce in the aquarium. CARE LEVEL: Â Easy TEMPERAMENT: Peaceful PLACEMENT: On Rockwork or Rubble WATER MOVEMENT: Moderate LIGHTING: Â Moderate to high Pink Hearts Paly HUSBANDRY SIDE NOTES: Â The Pink Hearts Paly tends to do well in brighter lighting than many other Palythoa species. Leave room for colony to expand and watch it grow into a nice colony. About Zoanthid and Palythoa Polyps Zoanthids and Palythoa have been extremely popular by Saltwater Smarts | Sep 18, 2015 | Cephalopods, Corals, Fish, Invertebrates, MACNA, Science, Tanks
Palythoa grandisMany of us are inspired to keep marine life for its exotic beauty or interesting behavior. But if we’re being perfectly honest, we have to admit there’s also something intriguing about keeping—and displaying to our friends and family—marine organisms that have dangerous or potentially deadly defense mechanisms, such as venomous spines, potent toxins, or razor-sharp teeth. For those hobbyists who like to flirt with danger, the marine aquarium trade certainly offers its share of prickly and poisonous characters—from venomous fishes to deadly cephalopods to noxious sessile invertebrates. There are even organisms we can buy that offer stunning beauty and potency in equal measure.Among these best-of-both-worlds critters are many of the zoanthids we’re so fond of keeping in our reef systems. These polyps (most of the ones we keep being from the Zoanthus and Palythoa genera) have much to recommend them, being very hardy and often stunningly beautiful. But some of them also contain a potent neurotoxin, called palytoxin, in their tissues and mucus that can make people very sick or even cause death if they’re not handled properly. Of course, blithely mentioning that certain popular zoanthids have the potential to sicken or kill people raises a whole host of questions that demand prompt, thorough answers. Among them: What is the nature of palytoxin
