10. Moray Eels
Snakelike body, protruding snout and wide jaws. These primitive
creatures just look like death. They're fish, by the way, and they can
be up to 8 feet long.
A bite from their razor-sharp teeth and powerful, locking jaws will
produce ragged wounds that are prone to infection from the bacteria
inside the eels' mouths, according to NOAA. The good news: If morays
bite out of fear or by accident (especially when foraging for food),
they will usually release their grip and let you go.
They tend to hide in crevices and holes during the day, then hunt at
night. They'll eat any fish or other creature they can catch.
Some expert advice, from NOAA, on how to avoid being bitten by one:
Keep your hands out of submerged, rocky holes and crevices. Oh, and
avoid this common diver gaffe that leads to many moray eel bites: Don't
feed them!
____________________________________________________________________
9. Sea Lions
Really? Sea lions? Yes, because they're very territorial.
They're considered cute, trainable and are major attractions at zoos, but have been known to bite people.
In California, a spate of vicious sea lion attacks reported at
Manhattan beach, Newport beach and San Francisco back in 2006 led to
growing concern among caretakers and scientists. Some researchers
suspect the sea lions may have eaten fish contaminated by toxic algae,
which may explain the uncharacteristic behavior.
The city of San Diego warns on its web site "Like all wild animals,
seals and sea lions are unpredictable and can become aggressive
quickly. They have sharp teeth and may bite, particularly if cornered
or harassed."
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8. Stingrays
Just the name practically qualifies these creatures for this list. And
the death of "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin by stringray in 2006
certainly solidified the reputation of these shark cousins as dangerous
beasts.
The tail of of a stingray is capped with a roughly 8-inch spear made of
the same stuff that makes up shark scales, known as dermal denticles.
The spear, which stiffens when the stingray feels threatened, is
serrated like a steak knife and packs a venom that can be deadly to
predators.
"The venom itself is a largely protein-based toxin that causes great
pain in mammals and may also alter heart rate and respiration,"
according to the Mote Marine Laboratory.
Stingrays don't typically attack humans, however.
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7. Crocodiles
Saltwater crocs have earned a reputation as one of the wild kingdom's most ferocious predators.
They can grow more than 20 feet long and weigh 3,000 pounds, and they
have been known to hunt a wide range of prey, including monkeys,
kangaroos, buffalo and even sharks.
Relying on purely brute strength, they are capable of dragging down
water buffaloes and have occasionally victimized humans. Using an
attack method known as the "death roll," crocodiles kill their prey by
latching on with their jaws and then taking down the dinner with a
powerful, twisting roll. The technique is also employed to break apart
large animals.
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6. Lionfish
Popular in home aquariums, these docile fish sport a striking fan of venomous spines.
Although not fatal to humans, the spines deliver a painful sting that
can cause headaches, vomiting, and respiratory distress, according to
NOAA. The worst of the pain typically lasts only for about an hour, but
some people report pain and tingling sensations for weeks.
Lionfish are not aggressive. So the fact is home aquarium owners are
more likely to be stung by lionfish than divers or fishermen.
________________________________________________________________________
5. Sea Snake
The innate human fear of snakes propels these slithering swimmers to
the list. However, the truth is that while sea snakes out-venom their
terrestrial counterparts, they're highly reclusive and so not much of a
threat.
Still, sea snakes are related to cobras, so when it comes to venom,
they know what they're doing. Their bite paralyzes and kills prey in
seconds. They rarely attack humans though, preferring to hunt eels,
shellfish and shrimp.
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4. Pufferfish
You don't even have to be near water for this creature to kill you. The
pufferfish, also known as a blowfish, packs tetrodotoxin -- stronger
than cyanide. Specially trained Japanese chefs prepare safe parts of
the fish as a delicacy, but every now and then a diner dies.
The puffer, named for its ability to suck in water and swell to twice
normal size, could end up saving people: a drug made from the puffer's
toxin has been tested for treatment of withdrawal symptoms from drugs
like heroin.
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3. Stonefish
This one nearly tops the list for two reasons: It's the most venomous
fish in the world, and it's a master of disguise, hiding in plain sight
on the seafloor, looking like any other rock.
The stonefish doesn't attack, but you don't want to step on it. Its
spines are used as defense against sharks and other predators. The
venom can cause temporary paralysis and death if not treated.
__________________________________________________________________________
2. Tiger Shark
Yeah, yeah, the great white shark gets all the attention. But reality
is tiger sharks kill more people. And few things (other than snakes)
automatically terrify people more than sharks.
Tiger sharks will eat anything: fish, seals, birds, squid, small
sharks, dolphins, license plates and pieces of old tires, according to
NOAA. They can be up to 18 feet long and weigh a ton. Take that, Jaws!
Tiger sharks are found in many tropical and temperate waters, and they
are especially common around islands in the central Pacific. For the
record: Great whites do attack more people each year, on average.
Oh, and a little detail that explains why sharks aren't No. 1 on this
list: The number of people attacked by sharks worldwide each year -- a
few dozen -- is roughly equal to the number killedby lightning just in
the United States. Only four people around the world died from shark
attacks last year.
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1. Box Jellyfish
These gelatinous creatures are flat-out deadly.
While no official tallies exist, anecdotal evidence suggest dozens of
people and perhaps more than 100 or more die each year from the many
species of box jellyfish that exist in all oceans.
Some 20 to 40 people die from stings by box jellyfish annually in the
Philippines alone, according to the U.S. National Science Foundation.
"But because death certificates are not required in many countries
within the range of box jellyfish, worldwide fatalities from box
jellyfish may be seriously underestimated," the NSF states.
One Australian box jellyfish can have dozens of tentacles, each up to
15 feet long, with enough toxin to kill 60 people. The sting of a
Chironex fleckeri box jellyfish can kill a person in less than three
minutes. Species of box jelly fish in Hawaii, Florida and other U.S.
locations are known to induce heart failure.
Honorable mention goes to the Portuguese man-of-war, a jellyfish with a
sting said to be as painful as a lightning strike -- though it's not
clear how many people are actually able to make that comparison.
hehheee
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