Poisonous/Venomous Fish and Sea Creatures:
Marine Envenomation
Some
fish contain natural toxins that enable them to be poisonous,
such as puffer fish. Some marine animals are venomous and can
sting with venom or a toxin, such as sting rays, sea urchins and
jelly fish.
Puffer
Fish: Includes: fugu, blowfish, balloonfish. These fish
contain tetrodotoxin. According to Webster's New World College
Dictionary: tetrodoxin is "an extremely poisonous neurotoxin...found
in the puffer fishes and a genus...of newt, that blocks the
conduction of nerve signals." (Neufeldt, 1384) [1] Initial
symptoms may include: tingling of lips, tongue, tips of fingers,
sweating, extreme weakness, nausea, headache. Severe cases:
respiratory/muscular paralysis, death. A physician is to be
notified immediately if you suspect you have been poisoned.
Sea
Urchins: Bodies are covered in spines that break off and
can sting. Some common symptoms: pain, stinging, rash, itching/and
or numbness, and sometimes weakness, nausea, sweating.
Jelly
Fish: Jellyfish have jelly-like bodies with an umbrella
shaped body and tentacles with stinging cells. Their stinging
structure consists "of a hollow coiled thread with barbs
lining its surface." (..Venum Apparatus) [2]
Sting
Rays: These animals have a long tail with a poisonous spine.
Remember
these are only guidelines or basic information. Contact your local
extension service for more detailed information or the latest
recommendations, or a seafood governmental agency.
Wanting
more information on the web about the above topic? Check out these
online resources for venomous fish and toxins that are in fish:
For
more information on puffer fish, from TheFreeDictionary.com:
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Pufferfish
For
more information on jellyfish, from the South Carolina Department
of Natural Resources:
http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/marine/pub/seascience/jellyfi.html
For
more information on sea urchins, from eMedicineHealth.com:
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/articles/27179-1.asp
For
more information on sting rays and their stings, from eMedicine.com:
http://www.emedicine.com/EMERG/topic556.htm
For
more information on various marine animals that are venomous or
toxic:
http://www.utah.edu/umed/students/clubs/international/presentations/dangers.html
For
more information on mercury poisoning, from Field and Stream:
http://www.fieldandstream.com/fieldstream/fishing/article/0,13199,605575,00.html
Questions
and answers on jellyfish and sea urchin stings, sting rays and
fish poisoning by the American Academy of Family Physicians:
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20040215/893ph.html
For
more information on moray eels, from the Hawaii Coral Reef Network:
http://www.coralreefnetwork.com/stender/fishes/eels/eels.htm#Moray%20Eels
1. Neufeldt,
Nancy, Ed. Chief, and David B. Guralnik, Ed. Chief Em. Webster's
New World College Dictionary. Third Ed. New York: MacMillan,
1997.
2. Jellyfish.
Sea Science—An Information/Education Series from the Marine
Resources Division, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
Site accessed 6 Dec 2004. <http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/marine/pub/seascience/jellyfi.html>
