by Joe Rowlett | Jan 20, 2016 | Science
With all due respect to Neoliomera, perhaps the most coveted carcinological treasure to be found on coral reefs are the Clown Crabs of the genus Platypodiella. Like a red and yellow Rorschach test, these diminutive invertebrates epitomize the visual splendour we... 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 by Joe Rowlett | Sep 15, 2015 | Science
(Continued from Part 1) When it comes to toxic palys, it is the drab brown specimens that we see most often, but there may be at least some colorful phenotypes being fragged. These are traded under the names “Purple Death Paly” and “Nuclear Green... by Joe Rowlett | Sep 14, 2015 | Corals, Science
The oceans are full of creatures capable of killing us; one of the more surprising marine menaces is a group of popular aquarium corals known variably as “button polyps”, “palys” and “zoas”. Rather than biting us in half or injecting us with some venomous barb, these...
