Aussie Seaside Stingers! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Blue-ringed Octopus

The Blue-ringed Octopus has a venom that includes a toxin found in no other animal which paralyses and can kill within thirty minutes! Until the 1950's the Blue-ringed Octopus was not known to have actually killed anyone but some unexplained deaths have since been attributed to this tiny killer, which grows no larger in adulthood than twelve to twenty centimetres.

Answer: Stonefish

The Stonefish looks just like an encrusted stone or piece of coral. Found scattered in northern waters the Stonefish has spines that, when alarmed, are raised almost vertically and are full of venom. No deaths in Australia have ever been recorded and in 1959 an antivenom was developed.

Answer: Crown-of-Thorns Starfish

Each of the hundreds of spines that cover the Crown-of-Thorns has a venomous sting. A puncture brings enormous pain and there is no known antivenom. Growing to nearly sixty centimetres in diameter the Crown-of Thorns breeds only once a year, however, over twenty million eggs are spawned by each adult female.

Answer: Box Jellyfish

The box jellyfish is claimed to be the most venomous marine animal known. Australian species are transparent pale blue, almost invisible in the water and are by far the largest in the world with the most stingers and venom that is much more toxic than any other jellyfish.

Answer: Flower Sea Urchin

The Flower Sea Urchin is very dangerous, covered with large flower like stalks that are actually pincers. Venom is released once the pincers clamp down on anything that tries to sit/stand on or eat them and the venom may cause paralysis and death.

Answer: Cone Shellfish

The Geographer Cone Shellfish is a killer! It is found in northern and eastern Australian waters, but is rare. All Cone Shellfish are highly valued by shell collectors, however, each has a harpoon like 'nose' with up to twenty teeth that injects immobilising venom into their victims.

Answer: Lionfish

A member of the scorpionfish family the Lionfish is a very beautiful fish. However, spines hidden within its lacy fins are venomous and can cause immense pain and swelling, followed by immobilisation of the limbs along with nausea, breathing problems, paralysis, delirium and convulsions.

Answer: Stinging Anemones

While most Sea Anemones are relatively harmless the blueish grey or light brown coloured Stinging Anemone found in Australian waters has strong toxins which can produce very severe effects.

Answer: Sea snake

Most sea snakes will not attack humans, as they are very shy. In Australia there have been no recorded fatalities as sea snakes' fangs are small and the volume of venom low. They will bite if threatened but don't usually inject venom as it is kept for their prey, not for defence.

Answer: Fireweed

Like a feathery plant, Fireweed is actually a large group of animals called Hydroids that have strong stinging cells used for their prey and in defence. A severe sting can cause inflammation, swelling and pain lasting up to a week and sometimes longer in very bad cases.