The stonefish is the most venomous fish in the world. The stonefish has venom in its dorsal spines; when stepped on by a human, the venom is forced into the foot. Most stonefish stings occur when stepped on, it is less common for stings when the fish is picked up. Stonefish stings can occur on the beach, not just in the water, with stonefish being able to stay out of the water for up to 24 hours. They often cannot be seen easily as they look similar to rocks or coral. Stonefish antivenom is the second most administered in Australia.
The Aborigines of Northern Australia and the Great Barrier Reef had different ways of preparing the fish for eating to avoid poisoning.After stonefish poisoning, the amount of anti-venom given depends on the number of puncture wounds from the stonefish spines.About 20 species of stone fish occur in the Indo-Pacific. Wounds from a stone fish can kill any human unlucky enough to tread on the spines. This species is typical of its family, with its rough, scaleless body, large, upward-turning head and protuberant eyes. As its name suggests, the stone fish's coloring and shape camouflage it perfectly as it lies half-buried among stones or in rock crevices.
When a stone fish bites a person, its venom can be partially denatured by the application of a very hot compress on the site of injury. Stone fish, usually, release their toxin when in danger. They have 13 spines on their back that inject the toxin when pressure is placed on them. For instance, when a larger fish attacks or a person steps on stone fish, the pressure leads to release of the venom.
