Soaking the affected extremity in hot water for 30 minutes would work for injuries from all of the following marine animals, EXCEPT:

• A. Fire Coral
• B. Sea Wasp
• C. Sea Anemones
• D. Box Jellyfish

Answer: (C)

Hot water immersion helps because many marine toxin injuries are caused by proteins that can be inactivated by heat. Immersing the area in warm water around 40–45°C for several minutes denatures those toxins and reduces pain, which is why this approach is commonly used for several jellyfish-related stings and related cnidarian injuries.

The three stings that typically respond to heat are fire coral, sea wasp (box jellyfish), and box jellyfish-related envenomations; their venom is largely heat-labile, so heat treatment can lessen the pain and toxin effect.

Sea anemone stings behave differently. Their venom contains components that are not reliably inactivated by heat at these temperatures, so hot water soaking does not provide the same relief and is not a dependable treatment. Management focuses on safe removal of tentacles, rinsing with seawater, and general wound care plus analgesia as needed.