Naturalist Daniel Brown vividly recounted how he narrowly escaped a gruesome death after nearly stepping on a ‘stonefish’ while exploring rock pools at Lee Point near Darwin in northern Australia.
It is the most venomous fish in the world. When a stonefish pierces human flesh, its venom can cause heart failure or excruciating pain in about half an hour that lasts for days.
Bryan Fry, an associate professor who heads the University of Queensland’s Poison Evolution Laboratory, told Newsweek that the pain is so severe that “people can die from paininduced shock within the first few minutes. Poison can kill and cause cardiovascular collapse. Usually 30 minutes after the bite.” Finally, he left good advice: “If you see a stonefish, stay away from it”.
The animal has an odd shape that resembles and very much so stones found in the sea and hides between the sand and rocks like a master of camouflage. The fish store their venom at the base of 13 sharp spines covering the dorsal fin, and when they feel threatened they use the toxin as a form of defense.
“Be careful where you step onto the beach, folks. Not all rocks are really rocks. We explored the rock pools at Lee Point on Sunday at low tide. We searched for the world’s most poisonous octopus. [polvo de anéis azuis]. We didn’t find it. Instead we found the world’s most venomous fish!” Daniel wrote in a warning post on his Facebook account.