Some species and specimens may contain palytoxin, a powerful natural toxin that can cause serious illness if exposure occurs.
Not every zoanthid contains the same level of toxin, and you should not assume a coral is harmless because of its name, appearance or where it was purchased.
This page provides general precautionary guidance for reefkeepers. It is not medical advice.
IF EXPOSURE MAY HAVE OCCURRED
Stop, move away and seek advice
Stop what you are doing and avoid further contact with the coral, rock, water or equipment involved.
Move away from any suspected aerosol or contaminated area and prevent children, pets and other people from entering unnecessarily.
Seek prompt professional medical advice and tell the healthcare professional that possible palytoxin exposure from zoanthids or palythoas may be involved.
If someone becomes seriously unwell or the situation is an emergency, call 999.
01 · UNDERSTAND THE RISK
Treat zoanthids and palythoas with care
Palytoxin exposure has been associated with handling certain zoanthids and palythoas.
Potential exposure can occur through contact with the eyes, damaged skin, accidental ingestion or inhalation of contaminated droplets or aerosols.
The safest approach is simple: treat any zoanthid or palythoa as potentially hazardous when handling, moving, fragging or removing it.
02 · BEFORE HANDLING
Prepare before you put your hands in
A few sensible precautions can greatly reduce unnecessary exposure.
- Wear suitable protective gloves and eye protection.
- Cover cuts, grazes or broken skin before working.
- Keep your hands away from your eyes, mouth and face.
- Work in a well-ventilated area.
- Keep children and pets away from the workspace.
- Have clean, dedicated reef tools ready before you begin.
- Prepare a suitable container for fragments and waste.
- Wash your hands thoroughly when finished, even if gloves were worn.
Do not use tools or containers for food preparation after they have been used for coral work.
03 · NEVER HEAT
Never boil, steam or use hot water on zoanthids
Do not boil live rock, coral skeletons or zoanthid colonies.
Do not use steam, boiling water or very hot water to remove zoanthids from rock.
Heating palytoxin-containing material can create contaminated droplets or aerosols that may expose people who are not even directly handling the coral.
Avoid methods that can spray or aerosolise coral material, including aggressive pressure washing.
Never use ovens, pans, sinks, utensils or other kitchen equipment for coral cleaning or removal.
04 · FRAGGING & REMOVAL
Control splashes and minimise damage
Cutting or disturbing a colony increases the possibility of contact with coral mucus and tissue.
When fragging or removing zoanthids:
- use dedicated tools;
- wear gloves and eye protection;
- work carefully and deliberately;
- keep splashing to a minimum;
- avoid unnecessary crushing, scrubbing or tearing of tissue;
- never mouth-siphon aquarium water;
- do not eat, drink, smoke or touch your face while working;
- keep other people and pets away; and
- clean your working area and reusable equipment appropriately afterwards.
If you are not comfortable fragging or removing a colony safely, ask an experienced coral retailer or reef professional for help.
05 · NEW LIVESTOCK
Inspect. Acclimate. Observe.
Corals can arrive with more than just the coral you intended to buy.
New livestock may carry algae, pests, parasites, unwanted hitchhikers, damaged tissue or disease.
Consider using an appropriate inspection, dipping, quarantine or observation process before introducing new livestock to your main aquarium.
Research the needs of the coral before placement, including:
- lighting;
- flow;
- space;
- compatibility;
- water parameters; and
- acclimation requirements.
A healthy-looking coral at the point of purchase is not a guarantee that it is pest-free or suitable for every aquarium.
06 · BUYING THROUGH ZOA SCAN
Know who you are buying from
Zoa Scan helps you discover, identify, compare and find zoanthids offered by independent retailers and sellers.
Zoa Scan does not sell the livestock shown on the site.
When you follow a listing and purchase livestock from a retailer, the sale is between you and that retailer.
The retailer is responsible for the livestock they sell, including its condition, description, packaging, delivery, live-arrival policy, guarantees, refunds and customer service.
Zoa Scan cannot inspect individual livestock and does not guarantee that any coral listed through the platform is:
- healthy;
- pest-free;
- disease-free;
- free from palytoxin;
- correctly identified;
- suitable for your aquarium; or
- guaranteed to survive shipping or introduction to your system.
Always review the seller’s livestock, delivery and DOA policies before purchasing.
07 · IDENTIFICATION IS NOT A SAFETY TEST
A name does not tell you whether a coral is safe
Zoa Scan helps identify and catalogue zoanthid morphs, but coral identification should never be used to decide whether protective precautions are necessary.
Trade names are primarily used by the reefkeeping community to describe colour patterns and morphs.
They are not a palytoxin test.
Whether a coral is listed as a Rasta, Utter Chaos, Sunny D, Scrambled Egg or any other morph should not change the precautions you take when handling it.
When handling zoanthids or palythoas, treat them with respect regardless of their trade name.
A SIMPLE RULE TO REMEMBER
Gloves on. Eyes protected. Never heat.
Zoanthids are kept safely in thousands of reef aquariums.
The aim is not to be frightened of them. It is to understand that they deserve sensible handling precautions.
Enjoy the colour.
Respect the animal.
Protect yourself and the people around your reef.