A woman in Hong Kong narrowly avoided eating a potentially deadly crab after using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify an unfamiliar seafood her mother had accidentally bought at a market.
According to the report, the woman’s mother purchased squid from a wet market in Sham Shui Po, but a red-spotted crab was mixed in with the seafood. Mistaking it for an ordinary small crab, she cooked it and set it aside for her daughter, who enjoys eating crab.
During the meal, the daughter noticed that the crab looked unusual and attractive. Although she was familiar with many types of edible crab, she did not recognise this particular species.
She then used AI to identify it and discovered that it was a red-spotted crab known to contain tetrodotoxin, a potent neurotoxin.
Worried that the crab’s juices could have contaminated the rest of the dish, she decided not to take any chances and threw away the entire plate. She also thoroughly cleaned the utensils used during the meal.
Tetrodotoxin is a powerful neurotoxin that can cause severe poisoning and potentially death in small amounts. The toxin is heat-resistant and cannot be destroyed through steaming, boiling or stir-frying.
The incident has prompted a reminder for consumers to avoid eating unfamiliar seafood and to seek proper identification before consuming it.
Two other potentially dangerous marine creatures highlighted in the report are textile cone snails and blue-ringed octopuses.
Textile cone snails are small marine snails typically measuring between 2cm and 5cm. They have spindle-shaped shells with fine spiral patterns, usually in shades of light yellow or brown with darker spots or stripes.
The snails do not produce toxins themselves but can accumulate toxins, including tetrodotoxin and paralytic shellfish toxins such as saxitoxin, through their diet. These toxins are resistant to heat and cannot be removed through cooking.
Poisoning can cause symptoms including abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and dizziness. Severe cases can lead to muscle paralysis, breathing difficulties and death. The report said there is currently no specific antidote and that the species has been prohibited from being purchased, processed and sold in China.
The blue-ringed octopus is another highly venomous marine animal. Also known as the blue-ringed or leopard octopus, it is recognisable by its bright blue rings and is a small species with an arm span of no more than about 15cm.
Despite its small size — roughly comparable to a golf ball — the blue-ringed octopus is considered among the most venomous marine animals known. Its venom contains tetrodotoxin, which can cause potentially fatal paralysis, and there is no specific antidote.
