Stonefish
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
A stone fish (Synanceia verrucosa) is a carnivorous fish with poisonous spines that lives on the sea bed, camouflaged as a rock. It is known to be found in the shallow tropical marine waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans but can extend to Australian coasts along the Queensland Great Barrier Reef. The average length of most stonefish is about 35-50 centimeters. It has a mottled greenish to mostly brown color which aids in its ability to camoflauge itself among the rocks of many of the tropical reefs. The fish eats mostly small fish, shrimps and other crustaceans. Its dorsal area is lined with spines that release a venomous toxin. It is the most dangerous of known poisonous fish and its poison causes severe pain with possible shock, paralysis, and tissue death depending on the depth of the penetration. This level can be fatal to humans if not given medical attention within a couple of hours.
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