The chemistry and toxicology of some venomous pelagic coelenterates

Abstract

Five species of toxic pelagic marine coelenterates ( Physalia physalis, the Portuguese man-o' war; Chrysaora quinquecirrha, the sea nettle; Chironex fleckeri, the sea wasp; Chiropsalmus quadrigatus, also called the sea wasp and Stomolophus meleagris, the cabbage head jellyfish) have recently been studied. Two of these animals can be lethal to man and two others produce painful cutaneous stings, of varying severity. All five species possess a significant cardiotoxic activity to mice and are lethal to lower animals. This action may be induced by an abnormality in ionic transport across membranes. Calcium ion and perhaps sodium ion transport appear to be important targets of these toxins. The pain in humans produced by the venoms of these animals may be induced by a large molecular weight polypeptide which has a kinin-like action. Although many of the venoms possess other mediators of inflammation, such as histamine, serotonin, prostaglandins or compounds which result in their release, no consistency between the severity of the sting and the abundance of these substances is apparent.