Reef Aquarium Fact #30 Some zoas and palys produce palytoxins! Very Dangerous!

revhtree

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We are going to continue discussing the reef aquarium facts submitted by our members. Do you agree or disagree? What are your thoughts?

Fact #30

Some zoas and palys produce palytoxins. Palytoxin is one of the most toxic substances know only second to maoitoxin. So be cafefull when fragging z's and p's.


Truth or False? What else might we need to learn on this subject? Please also share any pictures that may pertain to the subject. ;)

12.jpg
 

thewackyreefer

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Oh Rev, you've opened a can of worms here!

I say show me the proof. Everyone knows they're out there but nobody has ever shown any physical evidence or test results proving that their ailment was caused by palytoxin. Everyone thinks they've been "poisoned" but nobody's PROVEN it.
 

DrTrey

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Palytoxin is indeed one of the most potent non-peptide biological toxins found in nature, along with maitotixin and tetrodotoxin, and there are quite a few documented cases of death due to palytoxin toxicity, as well as extensive data from studies in laboratory rats. It is however, much less toxic than biologically produced peptide toxins such as botulinum toxin.
 

thewackyreefer

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Palytoxin is indeed one of the most potent non-peptide biological toxins found in nature, along with maitotixin and tetrodotoxin, and there are quite a few documented cases of death due to palytoxin toxicity, as well as extensive data from studies in laboratory rats. It is however, much less toxic than biologically produced peptide toxins such as botulinum toxin.

Can you share some links to some examples? A laboratory test is completely different than what a reef hobbyist will experience.
 

Reef keeper

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Not sure if it was palytoxin or what but after accidentally spraying my face with paly juice i got a metallic taste in my mouth and the next day it was horrible i had some breathing problem and it was just horrible! not sure if i ran into the flew but it started directly after fragging some nuc greens.
 

-Logzor

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I forget where the information is located but there is a study on a guy who supposedly inhaled steam from palythoa when trying to boil them from his liverock. That study that was produced is pretty darn close to truth as you're going to get. It was all over reefcentral about a month ago.

As far as personal experience, after handling grandis polyps a couple of my finger were numb for about an hour an a half. I now wear gloves before handling polyps.

There is also Hawaiian legend, where tribes used to coat the tips of spears with palythoa, to kill their enemies. I believe this story came up in the report mentioned above.
 

xmetalfan99

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According to a friend or decided to stab himself with a razor blade he used to frag zoas and palys, it was like being on speed.
 

Wy Renegade

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Oh Rev, you've opened a can of worms here!

I say show me the proof. Everyone knows they're out there but nobody has ever shown any physical evidence or test results proving that their ailment was caused by palytoxin. Everyone thinks they've been "poisoned" but nobody's PROVEN it.

Think this may address the proof?
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/04/05/world%e2%80%99s-2nd-deadliest-poison-in-an-aquarium-store-near-you/

Rev, here's a good thread on the topic;
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/zo...alytoxin-poisoning-its-potential-dangers.html
 

turbo21

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Oh Rev, you've opened a can of worms here!

I say show me the proof. Everyone knows they're out there but nobody has ever shown any physical evidence or test results proving that their ailment was caused by palytoxin. Everyone thinks they've been "poisoned" but nobody's PROVEN it.


here we go again haha

i am still trying to find reports to show some hard proof. here is an abstract from the journal of emergeny medicine. If someone wants to spend $31.50 they canpurchase the whole text

Elsevier
 

turbo21

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here is the research article from the discover magazine blog. very interesting read. They tested individual zoas and palys from different lfs and found how much toxin they contained

PLoS ONE: Palytoxin Found in Palythoa sp. Zoanthids (Anthozoa, Hexacorallia) Sold in the Home Aquarium Trade
 

caudill187

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True, especially protopalys. I wiped my eyes once after fragging my Captain Americas and in about two hours, my eye was swollen, I had stomach and muscle cramps and had a slightly elevated temperature......all clear signs of poisoning. My theory is, as in the rest of nature, bright colors mean toxic with some species of corals.
 

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