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Reef Stonefish — printable fact sheet
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Reef Stonefish
Synanceia verrucosa
The stonefish is the most venomous fish in the world, and it never uses that venom to hunt. Its thirteen dorsal spines are purely defensive, each a hypodermic needle with a venom sac at the base that injects on pressure — so the classic injury is inflicted by a foot, and the pai…
Did you know?
- Despite their deadly reputation, stonefish are sometimes kept in public aquariums for their unique appearance and impressive camouflage abilities.
- It is the most venomous fish in the world — and the venom is purely defensive, never used for hunting. Its dorsal spines are hypodermic needles that inject when trodden on, causing pain severe enough that victims have begged for amputation. It hunts by looking exactly like an encrusted stone, then striking in about fifteen milliseconds. The venom is heat-sensitive, so very hot water genuinely relieves the pain.
What I learned
Draw the reef stonefish
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