Dan Minchin Marine Organism Investigations, Ireland Coastal Research and Planning Institute, Klaipeda, Lithuania. September/November 2013

What stings or bites Parasites, diseases and toxins Impacts on Fisheries and Aquaculture

Occur in Indosesia and Australia Often there are fatalities Difficult to see in the water

Suits prevent the nematocysts from penetrating through to the dermis and releasing their toxin

Venom life threatening Vinegar over wound, remove tentacles Need to know Cardio- pulmonary resuscitation

The luminous medusa Pelagia noctiluca occurs worldwide It does not have a settled stage Can be found in tropical to cool temperate conditions Often inflicts stings on swimmers

Apolemia uvaria

The neustonic Glaucus feeds on the Portugese-man- of war and retains its most potent nematocysts

Some corals have nematocycts long enough to penetrate human skin Avoid touching them as they can give an unpleasant sting Fire coral

Toxic worms are often colourful Frequently occur in shallows Toxic setae which can also act as an irritant

Almost all catfish have spines and some can cause painful wounds Mainly occurring in South America

Most perch-like fish have spines some are venomous

Occur in coarse sands Easily stepped upon Very painful Heat treatment of wound

Highly camoflaged Several deaths a year In Indo-Pacific Occurs on reefs May be found in shallows and is often walked upon

Sting rays occur in shallows and are often stood upon Tail can lasso a limb and draw it onto spine

Venomous Several species in Indo-Pacific Recently arrived to the Atlantic It is an avid predator

Cuts can become infected Some are venomous Do not threaten them and you are alright

Ah! That’s Guinness The cadira: a small catfish

Urchins often appear in clusters Some have hollow toxic spines

Conus geographus Known to cause fatalities A special way to pick them up

Avoid the harpoon by holding the top end Do not store in your bathing trunks!

Spines can penetrate skin Venom causes pain, swelling and numbness Wounds also easily infected Effects may last some months

These occur in the Indo- Pacific but have rarely been known to enter the Atlantic One bite from some species is sufficient to result in death Some are thigmotactic Toxin can affect the nervous system and prevent blood from clotting

Each year the venom from this octopus kills several people It occurs in the tidepools and on account of its bright colours it is often removed by hand

Teeth are well advanced in pisciverous fishes Some can lance (many deep- water fishes) others shear (piranha, sharks)

Occur in South America Highest risk in dry season, in wet season not usually a problem as food plentiful Piranhas hunt by day: Don’t swim with a cut Be slow and deliberate don’t splash Create a diversion with an animal carcass

This has a toxic flesh (tetradontotoxin) It can also result in significant bites as it can break off coral with its mouth

While some people have been bitten and died they are usually harmless and can be ‘cuddled’

Many myths

Swim in a group Do not go far offshore Avoid swimming at night, dusk or dawn Do not enter if menustrating or bleeding Don’t wear shiny jewelery, watch Don’t enter areas with sewage Don’t enter where there are sharks Avoid coloured clothing (yellow) or have an uneven tan Don’t splash too much Keep clear of sandbars and drop-offs Avoid immersion near seal colonies

Condition found in tropical reef fishes Can be found in fish or their predators Toxins produced by dinoflagellates Can not be prevented by cooking and symptoms can be transmitted from sexual intercourse

Can accumulate in filter feeding molluscs Occurs in contaminated water from farm animals and human sewage Cysts can remain in tissue Might result in cryptosporidiosis if eaten

Caused by a dinoflagellate Periodic blooms Usually in bays and inlets The dinoflagellate may be distributed by ships ballast water or molusc stock transmissions Cats are susceptible to PSP Alexandrium tamarense

Due to demoic acid produced by a diatoms Pseudo- nitzschia and Nitzschia species A neurotoxin causing short term memory loss, brain damage, sometimes fatal

Pelagic coelentrates can compromise fin-fish farming Shellfish toxins can affect mollusc production Sewage discharges can limit production Ciguatera can affect local inshore fisheries Cultured species usually do not bite or sting