look what i found crawling around the coral rocks...

[sea_dragon]

i believe it is a bearded fireworm.... can someone give me a positive ID on this creature,...

[/IMG]

 

[archman]

If you want a positive ID, touch it!

I think it looks like what you said. Leslie knows for sure, although fireworms may be beneath her.

 

[Walter]

It's definitely a Bristle Worm AKA Bearded Fireworm. IMO, the most dangerous creature in the ocean and the one I fear the most. Don't touch it, even in jest.

 

[sea_dragon]

If you want a positive ID, touch it!

I think it looks like what you said. Leslie knows for sure, although fireworms may be beneath her.

no thanks...lol it looked dangerious i caught it took it home yesterday and then released it today...while reading about what it could be glad i used a net.... don't need hand of fire... :doctor:

 

[sea_dragon]

It's definitely a Bristle Worm AKA Bearded Fireworm. IMO, the most dangerous creature in the ocean and the one I fear the most. Don't touch it, even in jest.

thanks walter... i was using instinct when i caught it... so touching it was not an option... i had to take home and get a better look at it... then released it the next day...

 

[archman]

My professor knows a fellow that stuck one under his nose, so he'd have a "mustache". That must have been quite a sight.

 

[Walter]

It's worse than a mere burn. The burn is bad, but not as bad as a Man-O-War, for example. The mark will stay for several months, if memory serves, about 6 - 8 months. OTOH, the allergic reaction could possibly kill you.

 

[S. starfish]

So I'm a bit ignorant here - What exactly happens when you use one of these guys as a mustache (or when you touch 'em anyway)?

 

[Walter]

Actually, it is possible, although highly unlikely, to pick one up without adverse consequences. Around 85 or 86, a young lady showed one to me that she was holding in her bare palm. I don't know how she picked it up without getting stung, but she did.

 

[Walter]

So I'm a bit ignorant here - What exactly happens when you use one of these guys as a mustache (or when you touch 'em anyway)?

They sting you, similar to Fire Coral, but about 5 times as intense. The bad part is the pain in the center of the chest and the difficulty in breathing that follows 5 - 10 minutes later.