Palytoxin
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kj23502
lazy dayz
I've been trying to research it for you and came up w/this:
http
/www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/172/3982/495
"Palytoxin: A New Marine Toxin from a Coelenterate
Richard E. Moore 1 and Paul J. Scheuer 1
1 Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii, Honolulu 96822
Palytoxin has been isolated from the zoanthids "limu-make-o-Hana" (Tentatively identified as Palythoa sp.) as a noncrystalline, chromatographically pure entity. Apart from polypeptide and protein toxins, it is the most highly toxic substance known, with a lethal dose (LD59) in mice of 0.15 microgram per kilogram by intravenous injection. Unlike the potent toxins batrachotoxin, saxitoxin, and tetrodotoxin which have molecular weights of 500 or less, palytoxin has an estimated molecular weight of 3300 and contains no repetitive amino acid or sugar units."
In other readings I only see limu make o hana listed as well. When I get my tank up and running, I'll have some special gloves that I'll wear for messing w/my sw tank when I have to reach in. I think it's better to be precautionary.
I've heard of people getting stung by them and then say their hand burns or feels weird for awhile,but I've never heard of any grave side effects.
http
/www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/172/3982/495"Palytoxin: A New Marine Toxin from a Coelenterate
Richard E. Moore 1 and Paul J. Scheuer 1
1 Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii, Honolulu 96822
Palytoxin has been isolated from the zoanthids "limu-make-o-Hana" (Tentatively identified as Palythoa sp.) as a noncrystalline, chromatographically pure entity. Apart from polypeptide and protein toxins, it is the most highly toxic substance known, with a lethal dose (LD59) in mice of 0.15 microgram per kilogram by intravenous injection. Unlike the potent toxins batrachotoxin, saxitoxin, and tetrodotoxin which have molecular weights of 500 or less, palytoxin has an estimated molecular weight of 3300 and contains no repetitive amino acid or sugar units."
In other readings I only see limu make o hana listed as well. When I get my tank up and running, I'll have some special gloves that I'll wear for messing w/my sw tank when I have to reach in. I think it's better to be precautionary.
I've heard of people getting stung by them and then say their hand burns or feels weird for awhile,but I've never heard of any grave side effects.
I've been trying to research it for you and came up w/this:
[URL="http
"Palytoxin: A New Marine Toxin from a Coelenterate
Richard E. Moore 1 and Paul J. Scheuer 1
1 Department of Chemistry, University of Hawaii, Honolulu 96822
Palytoxin has been isolated from the zoanthids "limu-make-o-Hana" (Tentatively identified as Palythoa sp.) as a noncrystalline, chromatographically pure entity. Apart from polypeptide and protein toxins, it is the most highly toxic substance known, with a lethal dose (LD59) in mice of 0.15 microgram per kilogram by intravenous injection. Unlike the potent toxins batrachotoxin, saxitoxin, and tetrodotoxin which have molecular weights of 500 or less, palytoxin has an estimated molecular weight of 3300 and contains no repetitive amino acid or sugar units."
In other readings I only see limu make o hana listed as well. When I get my tank up and running, I'll have some special gloves that I'll wear for messing w/my sw tank when I have to reach in. I think it's better to be precautionary.
I've heard of people getting stung by them and then say their hand burns or feels weird for awhile,but I've never heard of any grave side effects.
It is actually the most toxic organic substance know. I believe plutonium is the most toxic substance known.
kj23502
lazy dayz
I believe their little wavy tenticle things sting...although I'm not positive. You can also get hit by them when cleaning the tank. There's quite few people that recommend wearing thick gloves when you're working in the aquarium. I'm going to be ordering some 
WayneVT08
Fishaholic
It gets into cuts on your hands and thats the way it works. It is not toxic to us unless we ingest or get it into our bodies through cuts on our hands/arms. I know a guy that was working in his tank and the UPS guy came to the door and he pulled the gloves off his hands with his teeth and there were palytoxins on it and he couldn't taste food for 18 months.
It hasn't happened to me yet with palythoas but I have been stung by a Foxface and have gotten LR poisoning. I've been through that kinda stuff before.
It hasn't happened to me yet with palythoas but I have been stung by a Foxface and have gotten LR poisoning. I've been through that kinda stuff before.
dang that is kind of intense...almost makes me not want zoanthids in my tank..ive stuck my hand in my tank with a cut before by accident burned because of the saltwater but luckily i did not experience any palytoxin.
WayneVT08
Fishaholic
If you do have a cut, just superglue it. Don't worry about it because the palythoa's and zoanthids are some of the nicest pieces in my tank. If you feel uncomfortable about it, just use Aqua Gloves, you're LFS should carry them, where I work we do.
thank you for the tips i am going by the fish store later i will pick up some of those as well. do you think post xenia i think is how its spelled has palytoxin? because i have a very nice piece of it in my tank.
WayneVT08
Fishaholic
Xenia? No. Palythoas and Zoanthids are the only ones with palyotoxin.
one person had a failed heater in an unventilated room, the tank was a zoa only tank, apparently some zoas died, the toxin was released in the water, the water evaporated carrying some toxin with it, was inhaled by the guy who owned the tank, his wife, and his dog, and they were all hospitalized. Luckily no one died as it was very mild (on terms of palytoxin, still slightly serious).
I wouldnt worry about it, you would have to ingest large amounts of it or get hit pretty badly by a zoa eating nudibrach for it to be fatal. But make sure, if you just handled them and you arent feeling right, call a doctor.
There is no "antidote" but some sort of treatment is available (forget what its called) antihistamine or something?
I wouldnt worry about it, you would have to ingest large amounts of it or get hit pretty badly by a zoa eating nudibrach for it to be fatal. But make sure, if you just handled them and you arent feeling right, call a doctor.
There is no "antidote" but some sort of treatment is available (forget what its called) antihistamine or something?
Yup, Palyotoxin is quite dangerous. Symptoms include paralysis at the site of absorption, and if it gets into the blood stream racing heart rate, elevated blood pressure, elevated respiration, excessive "cold sweats", and in severe cases, loss of consciousness, paralysis, or even death. Takes a lot of palyotoxin to induce those later though and you pretty much would have to eat a zoanthid to get that to happen...
The other nasty part about palyotoxin is because of it's chemical structure, it has a long half life (meaning it doesn't naturally decompose quickly) and is NOT dependent on water to remain active. So you can be working in your tank, wipe your hands off on a towel and leave it to dry. 5 days later you can dry a sweaty forehead off with the same towl and not feel your eyelids for a couple days...
Therefore precautions are simple. Wear gloves when handling zoanthids/palythoa. NEVER touch your eyes, nose, mouth, or any other mucuous membranes after handling these corals. After handling them, immediately wash or discard gloves and wash your hands thoroughly. If any towels are used, dump them directly in your hamper, do not leave them out to be re-used. And lastly, if you do frag these corals, make sure you wash the area thoroughly.
The other nasty part about palyotoxin is because of it's chemical structure, it has a long half life (meaning it doesn't naturally decompose quickly) and is NOT dependent on water to remain active. So you can be working in your tank, wipe your hands off on a towel and leave it to dry. 5 days later you can dry a sweaty forehead off with the same towl and not feel your eyelids for a couple days...
Therefore precautions are simple. Wear gloves when handling zoanthids/palythoa. NEVER touch your eyes, nose, mouth, or any other mucuous membranes after handling these corals. After handling them, immediately wash or discard gloves and wash your hands thoroughly. If any towels are used, dump them directly in your hamper, do not leave them out to be re-used. And lastly, if you do frag these corals, make sure you wash the area thoroughly.
This is why my policy has been for a while the following: NO poisonous creatures in my system. No rabbitfish with poisonous spines. No longspine urchins. No zoanthids, etc. If it can seriously harm a human, it is not in my system. There are plenty of beautiful creatures to put in our glass boxes without risking serious health problems.
salt is very harmful to the skin, and any coral with neocymasts or whatever can cause a serious allergic reaction to someone who is... well allergic to it. So really, it is pretty hard to have a system where nothing can harm you.
I say, if it looks nice, can be cared for by you, you like it, then take it. Most who get harmed by these creatures are just the ones that didnt take enough precautions. Then again that is only MOST.....
That clown in your system can be PRETTY violent, one with the potential to cause human harm, after all, they are part of the damsel family.
I say, if it looks nice, can be cared for by you, you like it, then take it. Most who get harmed by these creatures are just the ones that didnt take enough precautions. Then again that is only MOST.....
That clown in your system can be PRETTY violent, one with the potential to cause human harm, after all, they are part of the damsel family.
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