Top Results for Venomous

Known as the flower urchin, Toxopneustes pileolus is a living species of regular sea urchin in the family Toxopneustidae. It inhabits shallow coastal waters of the Indo-Pacific, including areas around coral reefs. Its flower-like appearance comes from conspicuous stalked structures called pedicellar...

A nearly transparent, box-shaped bell distinguishes Chironex fleckeri from the rounded form associated with many jellyfish. This large cubozoan occurs in coastal waters of northern Australia and parts of the Indo-Pacific. Four clusters of tentacles carry nematocysts, specialized stinging structures...

Phoneutria nigriventer, commonly known as the Brazilian wandering spider or armed spider, is a large arachnid native to South America. Unlike many spiders, it does not spin webs to catch prey, preferring to actively hunt on the jungle floor. It is recognized by its defensive rearing posture, where i...

The spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) is a large, distinctive elasmobranch found circumtropically, easily identified by its white-spotted dark dorsal surface and long whip-like tail bearing venomous spines.

The greater blue-ringed octopus, Hapalochlaena lunulata, is a small cephalopod found in shallow tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific. When disturbed, it displays vivid blue rings against a yellowish body as a warning signal. Its saliva contains tetrodotoxin, a potent neurotoxin that can cause paralys...

The Portuguese man o' war floats at the sea surface beneath a gas-filled structure that acts like a sail. Physalia physalis is a pelagic hydrozoan and a siphonophore, composed of specialized individuals that function together as a colony. Although often grouped with jellyfish, it is not a single jel...

Giant freshwater stingray (Urogymnus polylepis) is a critically endangered species native to Southeast Asian rivers, considered one of the largest freshwater fish in the world with disc widths exceeding 2 m.

The flower urchin is the Indo-Pacific species Toxopneustes pileolus. Its short spines and conspicuous pedicellariae can create a flower-like appearance, while those structures contain venom capable of causing intense pain and other serious symptoms in people who touch them. It is therefore an animal...

Bright blue spots on a tan, oval disc identify Taeniura lymma, commonly called the bluespotted stingray or bluespotted ribbontail ray. This cartilaginous fish inhabits shallow Indo-Pacific waters, especially coral reef areas and nearby sandy feeding grounds. Its pattern makes it visually distinctive...

Long, trailing tentacles give the lion's mane jellyfish its name and much of its striking appearance. Cyanea capillata is a cold-water scyphozoan associated mainly with northern Atlantic and Pacific waters and the Arctic. A broad bell carries numerous clusters of tentacles, creating a suspended mass...

The bluespotted ribbontail ray (*Taeniura lymma*) is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae, widely distributed across the Indo-Pacific region and the Red Sea. It is easily identified by its oval-shaped pectoral fin disc, which features bright, neon-blue spots over a yellowish to olive-brown...

The bluespotted ribbontail ray (*Taeniura lymma*) is a cartilaginous fish belonging to the stingray family Dasyatidae, native to the Indo-Pacific and the Red Sea. The ray is recognizable by the vibrant blue spots covering its yellow-olive body and its distinctive striped tail. It is a bottom-dwellin...

The fire urchin is the Indo-Pacific sea urchin Asthenosoma varium. It has a flexible body and vividly colored spines, often with contrasting bands or patches, which give it the appearance associated with its common name. Its spines and venomous pedicellariae can cause painful injuries, so the specie...

The flower urchin (Toxopneustes pileolus) is a species of sea urchin found in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly on coral reefs. It is covered with distinctive flower-like appendages called pedicellariae, which are actually venomous structures used for defense and capturing food. The flower urchi...

The ocellate river stingray (Potamotrygon motoro) is a species of freshwater cartilaginous fish native to the Amazon, Orinoco, and Paraná river basins in South America. It is characterized by a circular, flattened disc covered in distinctive orange or yellow spots ringed with black, known as ocelli,...

The freshwater whipray (*Urogymnus dalyensis*) is a large species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae, native to river systems in Northern Australia and potentially New Guinea. It is among the few elasmobranch species completely adapted to living in freshwater environments throughout their lifespan...

Hapalochlaena maculosa, the southern blue-ringed octopus, is a small cephalopod native to temperate coastal waters of southern Australia. When disturbed, it can display vivid blue rings against yellow or brown skin as a warning signal. Its saliva contains tetrodotoxin delivered through a bite, which...

The Northern Tree Funnel-web Spider is a large, venomous spider native to the forests of eastern Australia, particularly New South Wales and Queensland. It is an arboreal species that constructs silken retreats in tree hollows and crevices. Its venom contains neurotoxins capable of causing serious i...

The southern stingray (Hypanus americanus) is a large stingray native to the western Atlantic and Caribbean, widely known from Grand Cayman's Stingray City where wild rays have been provisioned by humans since the 1980s.

The honeycomb stingray is a large cartilaginous fish native to the Indo-West Pacific region. It is distinguished by the honeycomb-like pattern of dark spots and lines covering its dorsal surface. The species typically inhabits shallow coastal waters, estuaries, and coral reefs where it forages for c...

The banded urchin (Echinothrix calamaris) is a species of tropical sea urchin found in coral reef environments across the Indo-Pacific region. It belongs to the family Diadematidae and is easily recognized by its long, hollow primary spines, which display distinct, bold dark-and-light banding. While...

The white-spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus ocellatus) is a large Indo-Pacific eagle ray, long confused with Aetobatus narinari, and recognized as a separate species following molecular and morphological studies.

The blue-lined octopus, Hapalochlaena fasciata, is a small venomous cephalopod found in shallow coastal waters of eastern Australia. It is distinguished by iridescent blue lines that become conspicuous when the animal is disturbed, rather than the more ring-like markings seen in related species. Lik...

The short-tail stingray (Bathytoshia brevicaudata) is the world's largest stingray by mass, native to the southern oceans including waters around Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, with disc widths exceeding 2 m.

The Sydney funnel-web spider Atrax robustus is a large, aggressive spider native to eastern Australia. It’s notable due to its potent venom, which can cause severe symptoms including myolysis and neurological effects. This medically significant species is particularly dangerous to humans and is most...

The geography cone, Conus geographus, is an Indo-Pacific marine snail in the Conidae family. It hunts fish using venom delivered through a specialized tooth, and its venom contains a complex mixture of conotoxins. These compounds act on biological targets involved in nerve and muscle function. Its p...

*Asthenosoma periculosum*, commonly called the fire-urchin, is an extant sea urchin within the Echino­thuriidae family. It’s notable for possessing venomous spines that inflict a painful sting. This species is particularly relevant to marine biologists and researchers studying venom evolution and de...

The marbled ribbontail ray (Taeniura meyeri) is a species of stingray found in the Indo-Pacific region, inhabiting coral reef environments. It is distinguished by its dark dorsal surface covered in a marbled pattern of lighter spots and the presence of folds on its tail, which give it its common nam...

The Pacific sea nettle, Chrysaora fuscescens, is a large scyphozoan jellyfish native to the northeastern Pacific Ocean. It has a golden-brown or amber bell with pale radial markings and long oral arms and tentacles equipped with stinging cells used to capture prey. The species feeds mainly on zoopla...