Template:Did you know nominations/Palythoa toxica

The following is an archived discussion of the DYK nomination of the article below. Please do not modify this page. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as this nomination's talk page, the article's talk page or Wikipedia talk:Did you know), unless there is consensus to re-open the discussion at this page. No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was: promoted by FITINDIA 10:10, 2 September 2017 (UTC)

Palythoa toxica[edit]

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~~... that there is a connection between a taboo rock pool on Hawaii and beachgoers becoming ill in Italy?~~

Reviewed: Nicola De Giosa
Comment: Alternative hooks welcome! The QPQ is a two article hook.

Created/expanded by Cwmhiraeth (talk). Self-nominated at 08:38, 6 August 2017 (UTC).

There may be some better potential hook, but first... what source provides the "connection between" in ALT0? E Eng 16:42, 6 August 2017 (UTC)

None. It's implicit because Ostreopsis is involved in both. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 17:13, 6 August 2017 (UTC)

Hmmm... OK, give me a day or two on this. I think we need to work The Seaweed of Death into it somehow. If I forget ping me again. E Eng 17:37, 6 August 2017 (UTC)

Actually, it's not a seaweed, but one of the Zoantharia. I know that there have been amateur aquarium keepers who became sick from it after placing the animal into saltwater fish tanks, and I could probably track down a source if that would be helpful. --Tryptofish (talk) 19:33, 6 August 2017 (UTC)

When I said that, I was thinking of Palythoa. Ostreopsis is closer to seaweed, but it's a single cell microorganism. --Tryptofish (talk) 19:37, 6 August 2017 (UTC)

Here are some sources for that: [1], [2], [3], [4]. --Tryptofish (talk) 20:21, 6 August 2017 (UTC)

I have to admit I'm stymied here. I want to say something like

Beachgoers became ill in Italy because of something in the seaweed of death

but I can't wrap my head around the osteoporosis and the cryptozoology and the organelles and so on. What links the two events, really? Tryptofish, can you fashion something? E Eng 03:04, 11 August 2017 (UTC)

My advice, first, would be to not use the phrase "seaweed of death" in that way, as it takes some OR to get to it. All I can see is where there is a traditional Hawaiian phrase of "deadly seaweed of Hana" that actually refers to something that is not seaweed.

Here is the linkage: there is a microorganism in seawater called Ostreopsis that produces a poison. (Not to be confused with osteoporosis, which is something else entirely, and not caused by the toxin.) These microorganisms get taken up into the cells (thus, subcellular organelles) by a coral-like animal called Palythoa, making the Palythoa poisonous in turn, and presumably helping to protect it from predators. Those unfortunate Italian beachgoers got sick because there was Ostreopsis in the water there. The Palythoa is in Hawaii and elsewhere in the South Pacific, but not in Italy (unless someone is keeping it in a fishtank indoors). Bottom line: I don't like the current proposed versions for the hook, because it seems to me that there is SYNTH in "connect"ing the Palythoa in Hawaii with what made the Italians sick.

I think that a hook about people getting sick from this stuff is a good and catchy way to go, but if we are going to fit both pages into one hook, it should be a case of poisoning by Palythoa (with Ostreopsis inside the Palythoa), rather than a case of Ostreopsis in the water by itself. It will take me a little time, but I will see if I can add something to the Palythoa page that will serve this purpose. --Tryptofish (talk) 18:13, 11 August 2017 (UTC)

Yes, I had a SYNTH concern as well. Cwmhiraeth, I'm going to leave you in the capable hands of Tfish. His talents as a hooker are more applicable here than are mine. E Eng 19:17, 11 August 2017 (UTC)

As in fish hooks. --Tryptofish (talk) 20:20, 11 August 2017 (UTC)

Thank you both. As I mentioned on EEng's talk page, I can split the nomination into two separtate hooks. There is plenty of interesting stuff in both articles. One problem is that though it is suggested that the palytoxin in the zoanthid is derived from Ostreopsis, it is apparently not proven. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 19:31, 11 August 2017 (UTC)

I think splitting the nomination is a good idea. Here are my suggestions for Palythoa toxica, and please feel free to ask me for ideas for hooks for the other page.

ALT1: ... that an animal from a taboo rock pool in Hawaii has caused poisonings of aquarium hobbyists?
ALT2: ... that an animal called the "Seaweed of Death from Hana" has caused poisonings of aquarium hobbyists?

--Tryptofish (talk) 20:20, 11 August 2017 (UTC)

~~For Ostreopsis perhaps: ... that a marine species of dinoflagellate poisoned 209 Italian beachgoers in 2005?~~ --Tryptofish (talk) 20:32, 11 August 2017 (UTC)

Thank you for your help Tryptofish, I have added you to the credits. The Ostreopsis article has been split off as a separate DYK nomination, and I have struck the redundant hook. Reviewer now needed for this single article nomination. Cwmhiraeth (talk) 13:28, 12 August 2017 (UTC)

for ALT2, which I think is better than ALT1 (the appeal of "Seaweed of Death" vs. the unclear meaning of "taboo rock pool" out of context). The article is long enough, new enough, well referenced, and I could not see any close paraphrasing from the sources I could access. The hook is interesting and supported by inline citations. QPQ is done. 97198 (talk) 16:02, 19 August 2017 (UTC)