Can coral polyps grow in your skin?

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DavidPT40:
The guys at reefcentral.com are pretty familiar with saltwater afflictions. Several of the guys have had to be rushed to the emergency room after touching toxic animals in their aquariums.
Ha ha. That's classic.
 
O2BBubbleFree:
So, Archman, what's the most toxic critter in your tank?
Currently the inventory's pretty bare. The most *toxic* thing would likely be a small oyster toadfish. It's a coward that sits under a rock all day. There's also a mysterious white encrusting sponge that leaves red marks when you touch it... I don't know where we got that thing from. But it's getting bigger.:freak:

There's a Lophogorgia that I swear stings, but nobody believes me.

The most *dangerous* animal is a super-aggressive blue crab. We only keep it around to frighten small children, and liberal arts majors.
 
archman:
The most *dangerous* animal is a super-aggressive blue crab.
Amen to that, brother! :)
Rick (who's been on the business end of a blue crab or two)
 
archman:
There's also a mysterious white encrusting sponge that leaves red marks when you touch it... I don't know where we got that thing from. But it's getting bigger.:freak:

I have a wife and daughter here in Cedar Park to look after. Let me know when it's time to move.
 
We had a beginner diver that whacked her hand on the reef...big hole on the back of her hand. She went to the emergency Dr. he xrayed it and saw lots of little things that aren't supposed to be there...(dark spots on the xray). They had to rinse is several times to get it all out. When it was out she felt instantly better.
 
It is finally getting better. It took a month. You know, I know some pro-surfer types that have had BAD coral wounds from wipe outs and pretty extensive scarring. I learned a lesson. Ron Frank reminded me not to touch coral, etc but the dive guide actually took our hands and placed us on the ledge (appeared barren) after changing his mind about not hooking on. Sometimes, you just kinda do what you're told, even me.

Yea, I bet those little flecks of calcium were easy to spot on the film.
 
I'am new to scuba but keep salt water reef aquariums. There's no way a coral polyp could live in or on human skin in my opinion. Like mentioned if red streaks spread down the arm I would go to ER. Polyps such as zoanthids cary a stong toxin and you really should avoid them .

James
 
I was wondering if there was any follow up to the coral on skin thing?

I was recently snorkeling in the US Virgin Islands, and got my knee rubbed up against some coral in the waves....just a light abrasion, but I felt the coral imbed itself a little into my flesh. I got a few other scrapes from rocks, that actually drew more blood, so I didn't think much of it. Anyway, about two weeks have passed and even the deeper rock cuts have healed, but my knee was itchy yesterday, and I noticed a crust growing on it...in a kind of squiggly pattern. It struck me like a parasite, and I didn't even think of the coral till later on...as I'd just gotten done with a tropical hike, but when I got home and looked at it, the pattern and "calcification" seemed too advanced to have happened just from a hike. I talked to a physician about it, and showed it to him, and he immediately said it looked like a parasite...he said the rings made him think of ringworm, but that the crust and shape of the patters definitely was not ringworm. He said to scrub the heck out of it with bleach, as it looked kind of aggressive, and to then cover it with antibiotic ointment too. Later on, I told the doctor about the coral incident (when it came back to my mind), and showed him a picture of "Brain Coral." We both fad to admit the pattern looked like brain coral, and the texture also felt like living brain coral...the color too. Anyway, the doctor said it was a possibility he would look into for treatment, and told me about how weird stuff happens in the way of parasites. He gave this dude as an example:

New tree man: coral man has 'shells' cut from his body - Telegraph

So, any follow-up?
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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