Are crown-of-thorns starfish toxic?
The crown-of-thorns starfish contains toxic compounds called saponins which are a group of chemicals that are related to steroids. These chemicals have been isolated from all stages of the life history (see 27) of the starfish and are thought to prevent predation by certain animals. Apart from being toxic to certain marine organisms the crown-of-thorns starfish also is known to be toxic to humans. Most injuries to humans occur on the hands and feet. Symptoms range from intense pain (which may last several hours) to nausea and vomiting. Frequently, the area around the puncture turns a dark blue (erythema) and begins to swell (oedema). The swelling may persist for a number of days. Where the victim has suffered multiple wounds the whole limb may stiffen and swell. In such cases the patient may experience a numbness around the wound(s) and the swollen area may become extremely itchy. This last symptom indicates that some victims also may respond in an allergic manner to injuries from the
