I was reading up about Zooanthids and came across something that I have never before been exposed to and also came across something to verify the implications of it.
With some reading I came across the toxicity level of zooanthids and the implications it brings.
"Zoanthids contain the highly toxic substance palytoxin. Palytoxin is the most toxic organic substance in the world, but there is an ongoing debate over the concentration of this toxin in these animals. However, even in small quantities, the toxin can be fatal should it be ingested or enter the blood stream. There is no known anti-toxin.
In order for this toxin to be dangerous to humans, the average aquarist would need to ingest the zoanthid in sufficient quantities. Average handling, propogation and aquarium maintenance is unlikely to pose any danger beyond a localized skin reaction."
To further show the implications of the toxin I was reading online where a man was preparing for a frag swap and put a quanity of zoas in a bucket in preperation. He left the room for a little bit and came back to find his dog with her head in the bucket~thinking nothing of it. He attended the frag swap and was called by his wife to tell him the dog was sick. To further the story he brought the dog to the vet where he was told the dog injested a toxin (the man automaticly thinking of the zoas toxicity called a friend and found the specific toxin.) The vet ran a test and found that specific toxin in the dog was palytoxin and that there is no known nerotoxin... Sadly the dog died.
This made me think about possible toxins when fraging and routine maintance. I know in the readings I found that it said and has been debated the quanitites needed for human death so Im not talking on those lines but I found it interesting none the less the idea that these small corals can have such a impact and also contain one of the deadliest toxins known to man (however strong or not so strong it may be...)
Just found it interesting.
With some reading I came across the toxicity level of zooanthids and the implications it brings.
"Zoanthids contain the highly toxic substance palytoxin. Palytoxin is the most toxic organic substance in the world, but there is an ongoing debate over the concentration of this toxin in these animals. However, even in small quantities, the toxin can be fatal should it be ingested or enter the blood stream. There is no known anti-toxin.
In order for this toxin to be dangerous to humans, the average aquarist would need to ingest the zoanthid in sufficient quantities. Average handling, propogation and aquarium maintenance is unlikely to pose any danger beyond a localized skin reaction."
To further show the implications of the toxin I was reading online where a man was preparing for a frag swap and put a quanity of zoas in a bucket in preperation. He left the room for a little bit and came back to find his dog with her head in the bucket~thinking nothing of it. He attended the frag swap and was called by his wife to tell him the dog was sick. To further the story he brought the dog to the vet where he was told the dog injested a toxin (the man automaticly thinking of the zoas toxicity called a friend and found the specific toxin.) The vet ran a test and found that specific toxin in the dog was palytoxin and that there is no known nerotoxin... Sadly the dog died.
This made me think about possible toxins when fraging and routine maintance. I know in the readings I found that it said and has been debated the quanitites needed for human death so Im not talking on those lines but I found it interesting none the less the idea that these small corals can have such a impact and also contain one of the deadliest toxins known to man (however strong or not so strong it may be...)
Just found it interesting.
but seriously, i'll watchmy dogs when i start doing corals. (saving for lighting)