8. Zebra Surgeon fish
This fish lives in the shallow waters of coral reefs, and feeds mainly on algae. It owes its name to its erectile spine, cutting like a scalpel and extremely venomous, located at the base of its caudal fin. This fish, very aggressive, attacks and often hurts severely the fishermen. The surgeon is edible but sometimes causes a special food poisoning called ciguatera, which can cause numbness in the face, discomfort or itching, all accompanied by hypotension and slow heartbeat.
7. Stonefish
The stone fish lives in the Red Sea and the Indo-Pacific. Lying on the seabed, he also likes to bury himself in the sand or hide among the rocks. Its blistered body is covered with a mucus on which sticks debris of coral, which makes it resemble a stone. It is endowed with 13 dorsal spines, very venomous, which it deploys when it feels in danger. Stinging can cause loss of consciousness or even cardiac arrest in some cases. It is therefore very dangerous for man. Its poison is considered as one of the most dangerous of the oceans.
6. Flower Urchin, Tropical regions
Also called toxic sea urchin, this large sea urchin lives in the coral lagoons of tropical regions. To hide it covers itself with pebbles, which makes it difficult to locate and, therefore, even more dangerous. Indeed, its pedicellars fleshy excrescences on the surface of the body are equipped with venom glands which liberate, when touched, a redoutable toxin, even mortal for the man.
5. Conus, Tropical regions
These gastropod molluscs, of various sizes, live in tropical oceans, some in the Mediterranean. During the day, they bury themselves in the sand, leaving only at night to feed themselves. To kill their victims, they project a dart coated with venom. Some large tropical species are excessively dangerous to humans. Their poison first paralyzes the respiratory muscles of their prey and leads to their death. It is very difficult for a non-specialist to distinguish a dangerous conus from others, so caution !
4. Blue Ringed Octopus
This octopus lives on the Australian coasts. It measures between 10 and 15 cm and weighs only about 50 grams. When the animal attacks, its tentacles, about 10 cm long, become phosphorescent. Blue rings only appear in case of stress to inform the enemy of the dangerousness of the animal. One should not rely on its small size, its formidable venom contains a neurotoxin, tetrodotoxin, and can cause respiratory failure. In the event of a bite, it is therefore necessary to immediately repatriate the wounded person to the nearest medical center. For more informations about octopus, come enjoy our article about the amazing mimetic octopus.
3. Crab Xanthidae
Only a few species of this crustacean are edible. Indeed most of those crabs are toxic and in particular two species of xanthid crab, Lophozozymus pictor and Demania alkalai, which live in coral reefs and are recognizable by the black tips of their claws. Their toxin, the palytoxin, which paralyzes and leads to death, can not be destroyed by cooking, these crabs must therefore not be consumed at any price.
2. Fugu
The Fugu, also called globe fish, is a balloon fish with a big head and enormous eyeballs. It is a Tetraodontidae it has 4 teeth, Some species can measure up to 1 meter in length, but most are small in size. Its liver, ovaries and eyes contain a very toxic poison, tetrodotoxin, which causes death within 6 hours. No antidote has been found yet ! On the other hand, in culture, fugu does not produce this toxin. Very popular in Japan, it can only be cooked by cooks with a state license. For more informations about globe fishes, come enjoy our article about the box Fish, architect of the seas
1. Cubozoa
Also known as box jellyfish, they are recognizable by their cubic shaped umbrella. Practically transparent, they have something like a brain, allowing them to memorize and learn! They can weigh up to 2 kg and their fine tentacles can measure up to 3 meters. Unlike other jellyfish, they are among the most dangerous creatures in the world because of the formidable venom produced by certain species: Chironex fleckeri, Carukia barnesi and Malo kingi. Very painful, the bites of these can be fatal in the Philippines , They cause up to 40 deaths per year.
