Man Almost Stomps on Stonefish With Venom That Inflicts Enough Pain to Kill

An Australian naturalist narrowly missed stepping on a stonefish, one of the most venomous fish in the world. These masters of camouflage can survive for up to 24 hours out of water and are easily mistaken for misshapen rocks by unsuspecting beachgoers.

Daniel Brown encountered the deadly creature while exploring rock pools in the suburb of Lee Point, which is near Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory. He shared his experience on Facebook with the following warning: "Be careful where you step out there on the beach, guys. Not all the rocks are actually rocks."

Stonefish can be found throughout the shallow coastal waters of Northern Australia. "In the right places, stonefish can be extremely common," Bryan Fry, an associate professor who leads the Venom Evolution Laboratory at the University of Queensland, told Newsweek. "On some dives at Amity Point here in Brisbane, we can easily spot a dozen in a single dive."

Stonefish are ambush predators that use their camouflage to their advantage while hunting. Nestled among the rocks and sand, they wait for their unsuspecting prey to swim by. When they do, the stonefish darts out and attacks the victim in as little as 0.015 seconds. However, they use their venom only when they need to defend themselves.

"They are far and away the most toxic fish," Fry said. "Indeed, the pain is so great that people may die of pain-induced shock within the first couple minutes. If you survive that, the venom can kill by causing cardiovascular collapse as quickly as 30 minutes after the sting."

The pain is said to be immediate and excruciating and can last for days.

The fish hold their venom at the base of the 13 sharp spines that line its dorsal fin. "The venom is quite complex," Fry said. "It prevents blood from clotting, damages muscles, affects the rhythm of the heart and causes paralysis."

In severe cases, the venom can cause cardiac collapse, resulting in death. Fortunately, very few fatalities have been recorded after such encounters.

To prevent stonefish stings, it is important to wear sturdy footwear and always look at where you are walking on the beach. The Ocean Conservancy advises anyone paddling in the water to wear water shoes and to shuffle their feet along the seafloor, rather than taking large strides, to avoid directly stepping on these fatal fish.

Should you encounter a stonefish, Fry has some simple advice: "Leave it alone. They only sting in defense. Basically, they don't start fights, they end them."