Stonefish????

[dub*c]

hey everybody. im new to the brackish set up and im going to set up a tank within this coming week. the other day i was in this one pet store close by me and it had a fish they called a stonefish. i thought it was a saltwater fish that is extremly venomous. i pointed it out to and employee and he told me it was brackish. it looked really interesting and i think im going to order one. any suggestions???

 

[Jaysn]

http://www.google.com/search?q=stonefish

Two seconds on google found this wiki entry:

"Its dorsal area is lined with spines that release a venomous toxin. It is the most dangerous of known venomous fish and its venom 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. Immediate first aid treatment requires the immobilisation of venom at penetration site; depending on the depth of penetration this can be achieved either by firm constrictive bandaging or by a managed tourniquet sited between wound and proximal flexure"

Habitat

The stonefish lives primarily above the tropic of Capricorn. Its main habitat is on coral reefs, near and about rocks, or can be found dormant in the mud or sand.

 

[cherrypie]

Possibly a bullrout. Notesthes robusta.

http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/fishfacts/fish/nrobusta.htm

They don't do much, typical ambush predator, sit still until something tasty looking swims by.

Interesting fish for a species tank, but don't expect much action and handle with extreme care.

 

[Ruben Tolon]

There is a physically similar toadfish Thalassophryne amazonica that is available occasionally that is a freshwater fish. It's usual trade name is 'prehistoric monsterfish'.

 

[cherrypie]

Quick first aid for scorpionfish sting envenomation just in case you end up getting one.

Remove any spines that have broken off with tweezers (if possible) and immerse the affected area in hot water (as hot as you can tolerate but not hot enough to scald) this helps to break down the venom and relieves pain. This is effective for scorpionfishes (lionfish, stonefish etc) and stingrays.

This is immediate first aid, you should still seek professional medical advice.

 

[musho3210]

stonefish venom is deffinatly something where you will need some anti-venom or something in case of emergancy.

 

[Rosshole]

I have also seen a FW lionfish at one of my lfs

 

[Squawkbert]

1) don't forget the MSG (Accent) when treating

2) You don't want one. There are plenty of closely related species that are not as toxic, but are just as ugly.