Which starfish are dangerous

We have even heard about people throwing them around in the water and some take starfish with them back home in plastic bags as souvenirs. This act may appear innocent and harmless but it can be fatal for these wonderful creatures.

Doing anything else than looking at starfish will harm them and in most cases, it will be the cause of their death. And we do not want to blame anybody, but instead, simply point out that we are all responsible when it comes to the future of our planet and its inhabitants. If you see someone harming starfish by picking them up or moving them, you can step in and inform the person about the damage it can cause.

Objectively and without blame. If you want to take underwater photos, you can use an underwater camera, a GoPro or a waterproof case for your phone. Regardless of their beautiful appearance, they are important members of ocean ecosystems and should be left alone in order to thrive. Urchins can be very dangerous if handled improperly or without gloves on as their venomous spikes could cause serious injury.

Sea urchins leave puncture wounds on the skin which can become infected. The affected area often appears red and swollen and are painful within moments of contact. Make sure to use a reef-safe sunscreen when you swim to protect the corals from harm as well. The sharp spines on the sides of the starfish's limbs resemble thorns and create a crown-like shape, giving the creature its name. The thorns are very sharp and are capable of piercing through standard wetsuits and other clothing.

When the crown-of-thorns feed, they release a chemical which is known to attract more sea stars to the area. The crown-of-thorns produces a neurotoxin which can be released through its spines. Not only are the wounds themselves serious, but the neurotoxin can cause a sharp stinging pain that can last for hours, as well as nausea and vomiting.

Frequently, the area around the wound turns a dark blue and begins to swell edema , which may persist for weeks. The spine s themselves may break off and become embedded inside the skin. This can lead to infection, and increased toxicity.

Some divers kill these predators by injecting the sea star's own stomach acid into each of their many legs. This is particularly true for subtidal species, and those which are not used to being in contact with air.

Loosing too many would likely be stressful … and it's a very painful way to lose hair for people. There's also the possibility that we could pass on bacteria, or chemicals from our sunscreen or various other body products, when touching the animals. He pointed out one photo in particular that he found distressing, which shows a group of red sea stars propped up in the sand with their arms sticking out. Living animals … They live flat on the sea bottom and not with their arms 'human style'.

If these animals were not returned immediately, they are most likely dead now," he said. Ultimately, Dr Mah said it's important to remember than sea stars are animals, and we're much better off leaving them in the water for those holiday photographs. You should never touch or remove a starfish from the water, as this could lead to them suffocating. She also pointed out the dangers that those who touch starfish could place themselves in. My advice is to see starfish with a snorkel and mask, and only take a selfie with them if you are a safe distance and they are in their natural home.

While others, that live in the coral reefs are very small and beautiful looking. The only way they can enter the venom is by inflicting painful stings when they are accidentally stepped upon while walking on the coral reef or when handled in a wrong way.

Their venom has saponins along with 15 other different chemicals that give a stinging pain to the inflicted site. This gives a swollen appearance to that stung part of the body.

Along with extreme pain for several hours, persistent bleeding can also occur due to the haemolytic effect of saponins, and nausea and tissue swelling may persist for a week or more. The spines may be so sharp and brittle, that those may also break off and get embedded deep inside the tissue.

Then the spines can only be removed by performing surgery. However, if you are talking about kids that are below 4 or 5 years of age, then yes, it can cause death in a few of the cases.

Also the chances of contact with human is extremely low. As, the contact with humans occurs only during deep sea diving, or sometimes when a starfish gets washed ashore. The medical treatment would involve the removal of the spines, sanitization of the perforated area and the swollen region of the body, application of antibiotics and painkillers if required.

In general, mid to low venomous stings get well soon within a matter of seven days or so if treated properly. Severe complications leading to death is very very rare.