Quote:
Originally Posted by my2rotties
I have no intention of ever getting such a creature, but could you possibly expand on why they are a disaster in the making? It is always great to learn about al creatures in the hobby, even if they will never make it to my tank.  |
Blue Ring Octopus.
The blue-ringed octopus is the size of a
golf ball, but its venom is powerful enough to kill
humans. There is no known
antidote.
The octopus produces venom that contains
tetrodotoxin,
5-hydroxytryptamine,
hyaluronidase,
tyramine,
histamine,
tryptamine,
octopamine,
taurine,
acetylcholine, and
dopamine. The major neurotoxin component of blue-ringed octopus venom was originally known as
maculotoxin, but was later found to be identical to
tetrodotoxin,
[2] a neurotoxin which is also found in
pufferfish and
cone snails. Tetrodotoxin blocks
sodium channels, causing
motor paralysis and sometimes
respiratory arrest leading to
cardiac arrest due to a lack of oxygen. The toxin is created by
bacteria in the
salivary glands of the octopus
[3].
First aid treatment is pressure on the wound and
rescue breathing. It is essential, if rescue breathing is required, that it be continued until the victim begins to breathe, which may be some hours.
Hospital treatment involves respiratory assistance until the toxin is washed out of the body. The symptoms vary in severity, with children being the most at risk because of their small body size. The victim might be saved if
artificial respiration starts before marked
cyanosis and
hypotension develop. Victims who live through the first 24 hours generally go on to make a complete recovery.
[4]
It is essential that immediate and full time respiratory support be given (e.g. artificial respiration/rescue breathing) even if the victim appears not to be responding. Tetrodotoxin poisoning can result in the victim being fully aware of his/her surroundings but unable to breathe. Because of the paralysis that occurs they have no way of signalling for help or any way of indicating distress. Respiratory support, together with reassurance, until medical assistance arrives ensures that the victim will generally recover well.
The blue-ringed octopus is currently one of the most toxic known sea creatures. Another cephalopod,
Pfeffer's Flamboyant Cuttlefish, produces a venom roughly equal in potency to that of the blue-ringed octopus.
[5] Despite its small size, the blue-ringed octopus carries enough poison to kill 26 adult humans within minutes
[6].
Conus Snail
The
cone snails or
cone shells, sometimes simply known as "cones", are the popular name for snails or snail shells in the
family Conidae, a
taxonomic group of related organisms. That family contains only a single
genus,
Conus, which has about 500 living
species. Cone snails are medium-sized to large, sophisticated
predatory sea
snails,
marine gastropod mollusks.
[1]
The shells of cone snails are shaped roughly like an
ice-cream cone. The narrow end of the cone shell is the anterior end, and the wide end shows the usually very low
spire of the
gastropod shell.
These snails hunt and immobilize prey using a modified
radular tooth along with a poison gland containing
neurotoxins; this is launched out of its mouth in a
harpoon-like action.
Cone
venom shows great promise as a source of new, medically important substances.
[2][3]
Live cone snails should be handled with care or not handled at all, as they are capable of "stinging" humans with unpleasant results. The sting of very small cones is no worse than a bee sting, but the sting of a few of the larger species of tropical cone snails can be fatal to human beings.
The shells of cone snails are often brightly colored and intricately patterned, although in some species when the snail is still alive, this coloring is covered over with a thick
periostracum.