Anemones Can Kill a Person??

[lilim10]

Well, my marine biology teacher probably knows less than I do, but she said that a tide pool anemone can kill a little kid because they lick the anemone's tentacles and the poison causes their tongue to swell up and suffocate the kid. Is this true? Sounds like a myth to me...

 

[IsaacMTSU]

Sounds kinda dumb, but maybe...

 

[J double R]

well, granted the kid can endure the stinging long enough to actually hold it and get tentacles in its mouth, theoretically, it is possible.


highly unlikely though. ive never seen a kid that wanted to eat an anemone, and a baby wouldnt hold one long enough to see.

 

[Lupin]

Lick an anemone? I've never heard this before!

 

[zzyzx85]

lick an anemone? would that have the same effect as licking a toad?

All kidding aside, sounds possible but that would be some potent anemone.

 

[Bllib]

Dummer things have happened. Not very realistic but someone could have an allergic reaction to the poison.

 

[Bk718]

tentacles.. i read it as testicles.. had to look back lol

can happen.. just why would a kid be licking the tentacles??

 

[msjinkzd]

i think its a pretty unlikely scenario...

 

[Plantedrandall]

Some zoanthids contain the highly toxic substance palytoxin. Palytoxin is one of the most toxic organic substances in the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoanthid

 

[Madcrawdad]

Licking an anemone sounds like an unlikely scenario, but assuming that it was done, it sounds highly plausible that it could cause the kind of reaction you describe.

Some allergic reactions can cause a child's throat to swell enough to cause problems breathing.

Certain houseplants pose the same risk to young children. They chew on a leaf, their throat swells up, and they have trouble breathing.

BTW, you said you heard this from your marine biology teacher, right? Why the heck would you discount her statement, and think you'd get better information here? :huh: