human consumption of bristleworms

[funktree]

This doesnt really contain to keeping a reef so I put it here. A friend of mine has offered me $50 to eat one of the bristleworms from my tank. This friend has made strange offers to several people I know and has always paid up. i want to know if a bristle worm would hurt me if I ate it, are they poisonous, full of toxins, or anything like that? I have to eat one at least 3" in length, we are going to agree on the specimen before hand. I have eaten an earthworm and crickets and grasshoppers before so I am looking at this as an easy 50 bucks.

[ChrisIsBored]

Bahaha.. Can you video tape it for us?

[Mark]

the glasslike spines on the sides have toxins that will burn and irritate your skin. I don't even want to think about what they could do to your throat. Worst case scenario, the toxin causes swelling, which restricts airflow through your thrachea, and you die. Don't do it. It isnt worth 50 bucks to find out.

How about offering to drink skimmate for $50. I'd bet he'd go for it.:D

[DanConnor]

Just do a test and hold one in your mouth in advance, to see if there are any irritating hairs. A typical bristleworm is not the same as a fireworm- the irritation might not be that great.

I definitely wouldn't drink skimmate, however.

[hcs3]

having been stung by several BW, there is no way i'd let one of thsoe in my mouth!!! it took me over 30 minutes to remove the bristles from my hand. i can't imagine how that'd feel inm y throat.

don't do it.

henry

[Aquaman]

Sounds like a contender for the Darwin awards! Im sure the good Doctor would agree.

[funktree]

Contender for darwin awards if I just said hey yall watch this and stuck it in my mouth, thats why I wanted some info first. Ive never even touched one I didnt know the spines came out and irritated the skin. I guess Ill have to pass.

[DanConnor]

c'mon, just hold one in your mouth....

[ChrisIsBored]

and video tape that part too!

[johnny]

dude you've gotta be nuts!!! You need to at least cook it for a few minutes first ;)

You'd have to be a moron to eat any foreign object for $50.

At least you asked first.

Nick

[funktree]

Its not just any foriegn object, its a small live animal. Do you think our ancestors were morons when they survived on bugs and grubs? Im still considering it but I want to hold a bristleworm first to see if they sting. Im gonna catch one this weekend and check it out.

[ChrisIsBored]

Hehe... you're just asking for trouble.

[johnny]

Originally posted by funktree
Its not just any foriegn object, its a small live animal. Do you think our ancestors were morons when they survived on bugs and grubs?

Good point and they did live to a ripe old age of 25!

Would you swallow a nail?

oh well at least if we're proven right... the genes won't be passed on ... hence darwin awards.

Nick

[hartman]

funktree,

Can we get your name and address and the date of your attempt so we can check the news, since I will bet you won't be posting after :)

Hartman

[ChrisIsBored]

We need somewhere to send those "Sorry for your loss" cards to your relatives as well...

[hesaias]

C'mon guys, cut the man some slack:D
He isnt the only one whos eaten from his tank:eek1:
Ive consumed a valonia bubble myself, and wondered what many of the critters tasted like, I just havent acted on those impulses, and find myself resisting harder ever lately.

[Fishrat]

Make sure you sign your will beforehand, and don't forget to leave your tank, animals, and all your supplies in the good hands of the fine people at Reef Central:)

[hartman]

receive,

I will pay you $100.00 if you put my in your will to receive all your tanks in unlikely event that the attempt goes poorly :)

Hartman

P.S. make sure you put in a bit about your estate paying shipping costs :)

[johnny]

Scott,

Have you tried the <i>Clownfish a la Frite</i> recipe I sent you yet? ;)

Nick

[funktree]

swallowing a nail and eating bugs are two different things. touche on the ripe old age of 25 thing though hehe. Ive eaten many grasshoppers, a few crickets, a daddy longleg spider, 1 earthworm, deer brains (not raw though). My only concern with the bristle worm is stinging myself or getting poisoned.

[DanConnor]

Well, the human body evolved into its current form eating grubs, shoots, nuts and other crap, not ring dings etc. I think the short lifespan was due to averaged in infant mortality, disease, predators, and just all around livin on the edge!

C'mon, go for it!!!

[hesaias]

Jonny
Maybe that would be a second corse after Horges Anemone Fritters:D
YUM!
C'mon, Funktree, we're rootin for ya. Just keep the benadryl close by.

[gas4544]

It has to be at least a three incher? Live? You may want to check your health insurance coverage first. They may not cover any insurance claims if they know that you are willingly living on the edge. On the other hand, if you die, its not your problem to worry about.

[Greg3333]

Look on the bright side. The spines are made of calcium carbonate. Just chase it down with a few gulps of acid and -poof- the irritation is gone.

Personally, I would recommend a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric for fast results. It might be a good idea to have a little baking soda on hand.

Why don't you bet him you can eat two tablespoons of powdered potatoes w/o any water instead?

[Starmy]

I've heard of people being desperate for money, but not this desperate.

[MickO]

...so didya do it? :D

[Wild Card-inal]

I wouldn't. They have bristles for a reason, and that's for predators not to swallow them.

Anyway, how about a sea cucumber?

[MickO]

...or a sea apple?

Uck.

[Rock Anemone]

or a starfish, maybe roast some hermits? make a little hermit crab cocktail??????? (can picture someone in their kitchen witht he frying pan saying, "Honey can you bring be another starfish?" Although people do it starfish meat................

Tell him you will eat a damsel instead.....

[funktree]

Nope i pussed out heard too many stories about nristles in fingers

[Tafabub]

Just think of it like a jello shooter. Put it in the center of the jello and swallow. Isn't gonna hurt going down and once it hits your stomach the HCl should disolve the spines so you would be fine and $50 richer! I'd do it. I've also eaten live fish, skimmate, worms, many assorted incects, and some other stupid things for money.

Buba

[Drewman]

Did you say skimmate? That's horrible, did it come back up?

[brandon429]

I dont think you will die, but acid wont help the burn because calcium isnt what irritates you, its the penetration of the barbed spicule and the resulting inflammatory response by your own body. Actually, there's no telling what will happen because up until now no grad student has done research on ingesting bristleworms, because they never got the idea.

SO, I am needing a fresh innovative subject for a dissertation-----

if you are willing to do this sober what would you do in the name of observable science if I fed you strong hallucinogens and turned you loose on a bottle of tequila??? Skimmate and bristleworms are a thing for yesterday's news when you've got a little alcohol coursing through your veins...

then we see your real potential as a subject

I am much more interested in finding out what would happen if you ingested various preparations Ive made from the backs of my little rainforest frogs in my terrarium. They are so colorful and pretty how bad could it be? I mean if it were a bumpy-backed toad that would be different.....as ugly as those things are there just has to be something bad about them.

I have been waiting for that bold experimenter such as yourself who could very well be on his way to becoming the next ALbert Hoffman. I can't do it alone bro, I need the kind of subjects willing to try anything for a buck or at least in the name of decent psychotropic science.