Is the thorn of sea urchin poisonous?

Sea urchins are invertebrates living in the shallow waters of the ocean under the phylum echinoderm. the shells of sea urchins are full of thorns, which are generally about 1 to 2 centimeters long, while the thorns of crown sea urchins active in the Caribbean are as long as 10 to 20 centimeters long, and the spines themselves are hollow and fragile, but the broken thorns of sea urchins can regenerate. Let's take a look at whether the thorns of sea urchins are poisonous.

Is the thorn of sea urchin poisonous?

There are many kinds of sea urchins, some of which can secrete different sea urchin toxins. There are forked spines and spines that produce toxins in sea urchins. Eating the gonads and ovaries of sea urchins or being stabbed by spines or forked thorns in the reproductive season will cause poisoning. After a person is stabbed by the forked spine of a sea urchin, severe pain and coma will occur, and there will be a record of death. Sea urchin toxin is soluble in water, but its effects are different. some can cause dyspnea, muscle paralysis, convulsions and even death in animals, and some can dissolve red blood cells in animals. some cause the activation of the heart and make the muscles unable to respond to external direct stimulation.

Toxicological effects of sea urchins

1. Trumpet poison sea urchin toxin: trumpet poison sea urchin toxin can temporarily contract the blood vessels around the frog heart and has an obvious contractile effect on smooth muscle, and trypsin can make it inactive. Trumpet poison sea urchin toxin is a protein that has the behavior of kinin on smooth muscle.

2. Three rows of sea urchin toxins from white spines: three rows of sea urchin toxins from white spines can promote the continuous contraction of isolated guinea pig ileum, which is proportional to the dose. Coronary perfusion of guinea pig heart can not only change the amplitude and rate of heartbeat, but also cause different degrees of cardiac stagnation. It has hemolytic activity on the erythrocytes of rabbits, humans, guinea pigs, cattle, sheep and fish, causing a decrease in blood pressure in whole animals and an irreversible block to the muscle response to intracellular stimulation.

What are the poisonous sea urchins?

1. Trumpet poison spiny sea urchin: the shell diameter of trumpet poison spiny sea urchin is 80mm 90mm, the largest is 150mm, and the shell is low hemispherical. The side with mouth becomes the mouth surface, and the opposite protuberant surface becomes the reverse mouth surface, the spine of the mouth surface is small, the spine of the mouth surface is slightly longer, and some of the upper part of the spine is flat and wide in the shape of a rod. The back is green, densely covered with white edges and purple spines at the base. The venom glands are well developed and highly toxic. After being stabbed, the pain of the mild ones is unbearable, and the severe ones will lead to death.

2. Ring-spiny sea urchin: the shell diameter of ring-thorn sea urchin is 70-80 mm, and the largest is 130 mm. The outline of the shell is slightly pentagonal, and the reverse mouth and mouth are flat. The large spines on the reverse side are hollow and brittle and are easy to break. The color is beautiful, there are often black and white bands on the spines, as well as green, brown, purple, pink or red bands. There is a barb at the end of the large spine, which is toxic. People are immediately stabbed when they touch it, and the spine is broken in the skin. The patient has severe pain, the wound is red and swollen, and it takes about a day and a night to subside.

3. Spiny-crowned sea urchins: the diameter of spiny-crowned sea urchins is 70-80 mm, and its height is slightly larger than the shell radius. The shell is thin and low hemispherical. The large spines on the reverse mouth are slender like needles, hollow, with ring wheels on the surface, with a length of about 3 to 5 times the diameter of the shell, up to 26 cm in length. Life is all purple and black, and the color of big spines often changes. The spine is very sharp and thin, and after piercing into the skin, it is broken in the human body, causing severe pain.

4. Three rows of sea urchins with white spines: the diameter of three rows of sea urchins with white spines is generally 100 mm, with a maximum of 145 mm. The shape of the shell varies greatly, which is generally a hemispherical shape with a pentagonal shape. The mouth is flat. The large spines on the reverse mouth are short and slightly sharp, with fine stripes on the surface, and the large spines on the mouth are short and obtuse. Large spines are generally white, there are orange or black, and the shell is black and purple. The toxins of three rows of sea urchins can dissolve the red blood cells of people, cattle, sheep, rabbits and fish.

5. Horse dung sea urchins: the shell of horse dung sea urchins is low hemispherical and the height is about equal to the radius of the shell. The diameter of the shell is generally 30mm to 40mm, with a maximum of 61mm. There are short spines on the surface of the shell, which are 5-6 mm long, and the spines of some individuals often tend to be outward. The color of spines varies greatly and is generally dark green. Spines are poisonous, but eggs are edible.