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Vicious Fishes and their Friends!

.The icthys or fish symbol has been a sign of peace for 2000 years. Most fishes cooperate and live up to the stereotype - they are peace loving, at least where humans are concerned. Being instinctively man-shy helps finfish survive in a hostile world full of hooks, nets and spears.

But some fishes contradict the peaceful image, having impressive weaponry of their own.

. These devils are well equipped for defense; under the wrong circumstances they will even attack careless or ignorant intruders. Science has come up with a specific antidote for the venom of only one of these beasts -the stonefish. Results of contact with such fishes include brief discomfort, excruciating pain, and death.

. Our goal here isn't to scare you - just to make you aware of what may lurk beneath the waves, and what you can do to protect yourself.

Sharks, of course, are a well-known group of fishes that sometimes harm surfers. There are quite a few other finfish that can deal out misery. Some make their homes on the edges of surfing's frontiers --the remote tropical areas where waves are

. abundant and uncrowded, but where medical care is sketchy or nonexistent. Others are right beneath you in heavily surfed parts of Australia, Hawaii, Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe. What you don't know can hurt you. It's worth knowing what the worst and most common of these guys look like, where

they hang out, how to avoid them, and as a last resort how to deal with the damage they inflict.

. S T I N G R A Y

Stingrays are related to sharks and are feared not for their bite but for the painful sting they can inflict. They account for most of the injuries caused by all venomous fish. Because stingrays often lie half-buried in the sand, most injuries occur when an unwary diver or swimmer accidentally steps on one.

. SPINE: The ray's sharp spine is located at the end of a whip-like tail; it can inject venom, causing excruciating pain and even death.

VENOM: The venom affects the victim's cardiovascular system, causing loss of blood pressure and a rapid heartbeat.

. CAMOUFLAGE: When lying on the ocean bottom buried in sand, stingrays are almost impossible to detect.

TAIL: The ray's tail can lash in all directions, increasing its chances of inflicting a wound.

PREDATOR: sharks PREY: molluscs, decaying matter

. STINGRAYS

live on sandy bottoms^,

in temperate and tropical seas around

the world. The body shape is triangular with a long, whiplike tail bearing one or more barbed spines. Stingrays come in colors and patterns that blend with their surroundings.

.How they get you: Stingrays bury be themselves in sand with their large, winglike pectoral fins. If you step on one you will make it mad, and your weight will give it the leverage it needs to whip its spine into your ankle or calf – which it can do very accurately. Symptoms; Lacerations, severe pain. The spines are sharp at the tip for good penetration, but barbed along the sides for difficult removal.

. This trashes nearby tissues and gives venom a better chance to ooze in. By the way, stingrays get big.

One Aussie had a ten-foot specimen

drove a spine right through his leg,

making a 4" gash on the far side.

. Treatment: (Study this section well;methods for treating stingray wounds basically apply to any fish sting.)

Time is a critical factor. If emergency medical help is available nearby, by all means go for it, and quickly. If not, you're on your own. Immediately irrigate the wound well with cold seawater. Carefully explore for any pieces of the spine's wrapper.

.This is the venom secreting tissue, and all of it should be removed.

Cleanse thoroughly and soak the injured area in water as hot as the victim can stand for 1/2 to 1¹/2 hours. Primary shock may set in (nausea, faintness, vertigo); treat this with encouragement of the, "you'll be all right" variety. Opiates are effective against the pain. Do not use ice or ammonia.

. The hot soak complete, check once more for foreign matter. If the wound is large, get the victim to medical help as soon as possible for sutures; if it is small and looks as though it will close up by itself, elevate the injured area, apply antibiotic ointment, keep it clean and dry, and update tetanus as necessary.

. Prevention: Always shuffle your feet when wading an muddy or sandy bottoms in unfamiliar territory. Abdominal, head or neck stings are very serious, so avoid swimming and horsing around in the shallows.

.  L I 0 N F I S H

The lionfish is a beautiful and ornate reef fish. Lionfish are typically found moving slowly, fearlessly, and majestically through warm, shallow reef waters. They are also called turkey fish because they spread their fanlike pectoral fins much like turkeys spread their plumage.

. SPINES: Hidden in the attractive fins are 13 dorsal spines, 3 anal spines, and 2 pelvic spines. At the top of these sharp thin spines are glands which produce venom.

VENOM: The venom of the lionfish causes an immediate, sharp, intense, and throbbing pain. The pain usually lasts a few days, although some species carry a stronger venom in their spines.

. ^-ZEBRAFISH Alias turkeyfish, liontish, featherfish,tirefish (USA), Man bambou (Indonesia)

Once you've seen oneyou ‘ll never forget it. They seem to love to

show off their long, lacy, feathery-looking fins - which are well armed with venomous spines. The color combo is maroon, black and white. Anything but shy, these guys like to cruise open shallow water near rock or reef crevices, often in pairs.

. How they get you: These gorgeous, fearless little fishes are tempting for the naive snorkeler or wader, new to the tropics, to touch or approach. Don't! Zebrafish venom is quite potent, and they are good at aiming and jabbing with the spines concealed in their fins. Unlike their close relatives, the stonefish and scorpionfish, zebrafish are so brilliantly colored and distinctive that they are easy to avoid - once you know they're venomous.

. Symptoms: Immediate, intense pain, which may last for several hours. Tissues around the wound may disintegrate and gangrene may set in, especially after inadequate treatment. Heart attacks, delirium, convulsions and death have been reported.

Treatment: Get medical help if possible. Otherwise treat as with stingray stings, again encouraging bleeding to flush venom out of punctures.

. Opiates may or may not be of any use against the pain.

.Puffer Fish

Puffers and blow fish are so named because of their ability to inflate their bodies when threatened by predators.

 They are the most poisonous marine fish to eat because of the deadly toxin contained in parts of their internal organs.

. The poison (tetrodotoxin) is so powerful and quick-acting that death can occur within 15 minutes after the fish has been eaten. There is no know antidote. Victims of puffer fish poisoning experience extreme pain and complete paralysis.

.Triggerfish

The colorful triggerfish is found in coral reefs. It gets its name from the spine located on its dorsal side. This spine can be extended like a jack-knife, and the triggerfish uses it to lock itself into crevices where it can hide.

. The triggerfish uses its sharp teeth to break off the spines of the sea urchin, its favorite food. One species, the ocean triggerfish, is known as the "piranha of the reef" because it has been known to use its sharp teeth to attack divers.

. TEETH: The triggerfish is dangerous because of its teeth, and it can be poisonous to eat. While the meat of the triggerfish itself is not poisonous, the triggerfish feeds on substances that they make it poisonous when eaten. This is called ciguatera poisoning.

. SURGEONFISH

Alias tang, doctorfish (USA); kaia,

rnanini, paksimk/ (Hawaii); labahita (Philippines), vana ki (Indonesia) are very common reef fishes throughout the, tropics. They have high foreheads, hang out in schools, and come in many beautiful colors, even within the species. This fish gets its name and nasty reputation from the sharp, hard blades which it can erect on both sides of the narrow part of the tail.

. When at rest, the blade lies in a groove which is lined with venom glands; it is constantly bathed in venom and ready for action. The dorsal spines (down the center of the back) are also venomous.

How they get you: 1: Wading through shallow water containing lots of surgeonfish.

. When alarmed they whip out their blades and go into a slashing frenzy. causing deep, painful cuts in whomever's flesh is handy.

2: Removing a surgeonfish from a net or spear.

Symptoms: treatment: Pain,

secondary infection. Treat as with stingray attack.

E L E C T R I C E E L

The electric eel, a river dweller, can generate more than 650 volts of electricity.

Scientists have pondered over the electric eel's ability to generate such power and after a century of research they still do not completely understand the process. They do know that the electric organs consist of several electroplates and the discharge is

. controlled by nerves in the spinal cord.

SIZE: These fish can grow to a length of 9 feet. The electric organs take up four-fifths of the entire body.

. ELECTRIC SHOCK: When searching for prey, the eel emits weak discharges of about 40-50 volts in order to locate its food. A more powerful discharge is emitted to stun prey.

. Because water conducts electricity extremely well, a strong discharge could stun a horse in the water nearby. Repeated shocks could render a person in the water completely helpless and thereby cause drowning.

. ELECTRIC EEL

Electric eels are not true eels, they are only eel-like in shape. Electrophorus electricus is famous for its ability to produce strong 
electrical currents, reaching 500-650 volts. This strong discharge is used to stun or kill prey. This electrical discharge is also used to ward off potential predators.

. Up to 6,000 electroplates are arranged like a dry cell in the eel's body. Its internal organs are all in a small area behind the head, with 7/8 of the eel being tail. The electrical shocks come from muscles mainly in the tail portion of the electric eel's body. The body of an electric eel is similar to a battery. The tail end of the eel has a positive charge and the head region is negatively charged.

When the eel touches its tail and head to other animals it sends electric shocks through their bodies. When the eel is at rest, there is no generation of electrical impulses.

Species: Electrophorus electricus

SIZE:

Electric eels can grow to be 6-9 feet in length. 

Voltage potentials recorded from different electric rays vary tremendously, having been measured at as little as 8 to 37 volts (narcinids) up to 220 volts (in the torpedinid Torpedo nobiliana). The result is a jolt of electricity ranging from moderately tingly to stunningly powerful. In some forms, the shock is directed upward - where it may serve to deter would-be predators -

and in others downward - where it may be used to incapacitate prey.

. NEEDLEFISH

Alias aha'aha, auau in Hawaii, where they are plentiful, aren't venomous, but at least one death by needlefish puncture has been reported. As the name implies this is a long, thin silvery fish up to 6' long with a sharp pointed beak. They like it near shore and near the surface.

. How they get you: Needlefish are very swift swimmers. Either by accident or because it thinks surfer, trunks or board is needlefish food, the beast will ram its beak into these targets. My friend David was surfing Hanalei when he was gored by a needlefish; he says it slammed into him like a freight train. The locals gave him a hard time when he started yelling "shark!" "That's just aha'aha, stupid

haole!" David says it hurt like hell, even if it wasn't a shark.

Symptoms: Puncture wound, often with chunks of fish beak broken off under the skin.

Treatment: Simple puncture: so encourage bleeding, disinfect by an irrigating with alcohol or peroxide, apply its antibiotic ointment, update tetanus as an necessary. Imbedded fragments: get an medical help for removal.

. ORIENTAL STRIPED CATFISH

Alias gigi (Japan), barber (S. Africa), ikan sembilang (Indonesia), patuna (Philippines) are pleasant-looking marine catfish native to the entire Indo-Pacific region; they are also one of the most dangerous fishes in the ocean. Young ones are black with two or three lengthwise yellow stripes; the stripes fade in adults, which reach 3' in length.

. How they get you: These fishes love rivermouths and shallow bays – also good spots for waves: they move around

in large schools which, water clarity

permitting, appear as dark roundish

shapes which revolve slowly. A surfer could easily paddle or wade through one of these "fish balls" and get lanced by venomous dorsal and pectoral spines.

. Symptoms: Violent pain, lasting 48 hours or more. Areas around stings turn white, then bluish, finally red. Improperly treated stings turn gangrenous; even properly treated wounds take weeks to heal.

One victim was stung on the thumb: he couldn't use it for 5¹/2 months.

. Treatment and Prevention: Treat as with stingray stings, but encourage bleeding to flush venom out of puncture wounds.

Obviously, leave these fishes strictly alone.

SCORPIONFISH

(Hawaii), waspfish (Australia), rascacio (Caribbean), hogfish, sea scorpion (England), are masters of disguise. Native to most temperate and tropical seas, with the more venomous kinds in the tropics, they have an uncanny ability to blend with their surroundings. A famous and excellent surf spot

. (Padang Padang, Java) gets its name from these beasts. They range from an inch or two to 3 or 4' long, and have venomous spines on their backs and gill covers: they look like fish-shaped rocks.

How they get you: Scorpionfish are

basically passive: you could step on or brush against one while picking your

way over submerged rocks or reefs.

. You could also catch one in a net or on hook-and-line: serious wounds have resulted from handling dead specimen.

Stay off reefs; avoid handling all spiny fishes; steer clear especially of their dorsal spines.

Symptoms: Immediate, intense,
throbbing pain lasting several hours;
swelling, reddening and hardening of rapid pulse.

. Treatment: Get emergency medical

right away, it possible Otherwise, encourage bleeding to help remove venom; clean thoroughly and hot-soak

as for stingray stings. Again, opiates may or may not be effective against !he pain.

. S T O N E F I S H

 The stonefish is considered the world's deadliest venomous fish. This sluggish, slow moving fish resembles a stone or chunk of coral and

can inject venom into the unlucky individual who happens to step on it.

.  CAMOUFLAGE: The stonefish blends in well with coral and rocks and is very easily mistaken for a rock

Spines: Thirteen sharp spines resembling hypodermic needles are located on the back. The spines are strong enough to puncture the thick rubber sole of a tennis shoe.

. VENOM: The stonefish's venom is a neurotoxin which is deadly as cobra venom and causes rapid pain and swelling. Death can occur with two hours.

. STONEFISH

Alias warty-ghoul (Australia), ikan-satan (Indonesia), tupu (Philippines), are one of the most venomous fishes around -and certainly the ugliest! They look like slimy, crud-encrusted rocks with wide frowning mouths. They are related to scorpionfish, but their venom is quite a bit more severe. They occur only in the Australasian area, reaching a foot or so in length.

. How they get you: Stonefish are even more passive than scorpionfish, and even better at camouflage. They won’t chase you; they will sting only if stepped on or otherwise provoked. Avoid all contact with the bottom if stonefish are uspected in the neighborhood.

Symptoms:treatment:

Excruciating, violent pain, soon involving a large area around the sting.

. Victims may be in such agony that they will flail about on the ground screaming, or simply pass out. Radical swelling, breathing difficulty and death may occur. In minor cases, swelling and painlast for months; abscesses, ulcers, and gangrene may set in.

Obviously, to be stung by a stonefish is an extremely serious injury and should get prompt, intensive medical care. If this is totally impossible, treat as with stingray stings…AND

. Hope like hell that your traveling 1^st aid kit has emetine hydrochloride or stonefish antivenin…..Inject it directly into the wound!

. WEEVERFISH

Alias dragonfish (England), aragna (France ), arana (Spain), aranhuco (Portugal), are one of the few very dangerous fishes that live exclusively in cool waters. Native to the Atlantic coasts of Europe and N. Africa, weevers are considered quite a delicacy in France, but the fishery for them is small due to the violence of the venom. During spring and early summer weeverfish move into coastal waters to spawn.

. These are small (18" max.) drab fishes with frowning mouths, and venomous spines on back and gill covers. They often have turquoise highlights around mouth and eyes, but otherwise are sand or gravel colored.

How they get you: Like stingrays, weeverfish bury themselves just under the sand. But unlike stingrays, weevers will dart out and strike very accurately at anything that moves near them.

.

. Wading, swimming or even paddling in shallow Atlantic waters can be a risky business, as can fishing with hook and lineunless you know weeverfish.

Symptoms: A weeverfish sting results in immediate burning, stabbing or "crushing" pain. This reaches an intense peak within ¹/2 hour or less; victims are prone to scream, roll around on the ground or pass out.

. One early account speaks of a weever-stung fellow - whacking off his finger to relieve the pain: a more recent report mentions fishermen flogging themselves with heavy implements and trying to set fire to the wounds as last-ditch means of getting some relief. The pain is, in a word, radical. Over the next few hours after the stinging, the entire area near the sting will swell up and take on a bruised discoloration; this will last 2 weeks or longer.

. Treatment: As with stingray stings. . Get emergency medical help as soon as possible. Opiates are useless against the pain,but magnesium chloride, a mild anaesthetic, dissolved in the hot-soak water may help somewhat. Gangrene may develop in it (properly treated wounds, often necessitating amputation. Complete recovery will take weeks or months.

Octopus. There are many species of octopus, most of which are harmless to man. However, one species, the tiny blue-ringed octopus, is highly venomous. A bite from this six-inchlong creature can cause death in less than a minute (depending on the victim's sensitivity or allergic reaction to the venom.)

. A close relative of the octopus, the squid, has been known to attack man and even ships.

TENTACLES: The octopus uses its eight arms (which may reach a length of 60 feet in the giant squid) for grasping and holding prey.

 BEAK: The octopus has a sharp, parrotlike beak in the center of its circle of arms.

. VENOM: The venom of the blue-ringed octopus is a neurotoxin released from specialized salivary glands directly into the bite wound.

PREDATOR: sharks, seals, man PREY: crustaceans, mollusks

.Cone Shell

Cone shells are attractive and colorful and highly prized by shell collectors (one shell brought a price of $2,000.) But one should be extremely cautious about picking up a living cone shell because some species (such as the Episcopal cone shell) are highly venomous. The animal injects the venom by means of a harpoon-like tooth located at the tip of its tongue.

. It can sting so rapidly that victims may not even notice they have been stung.

VENOM: The venom is a neurotoxin which creates a general numbness over most of the body and has been known to cause heart and respiratory failure within minutes.

http://grimwade.biochem.unimelb.edu.au/cone/index1.html

P O R T U G U E S E M A N- O F- W A R .

This jellyfish is actually a floating colony of smaller animals with tentacles that are armed with stinging cells. A person stung by these tentacles experiences intense and long lasting pain which may even paralyze the victim's respiratory system and thereby causes drowning.

. CAMOUFLAGE: Most jellyfish are nearly transparent, which makes them difficult to see as they float on the surface of the water.

TENTACLES: The most dangerous jellyfish have dozens of streaming tentacles which may reach

a length of 50 feet. These tentacles are armed with hundreds of thousands of tiny stinging cells called

. nematocysts; each nematocyst con

tains minute amounts of venom similar to cobra venom.

STING: A jellyfish is usually very painful. The effects can range from a mild reaction to shock, paralysis and even death.

[Box jellyfish is considered the most venomous marine creature. It can kill more people than stonefish, sharks and crocodiles combined]. 

Sea Anemone.

The sea anemone or "flower of the sea" is an animal that is found fastened to rocks or coral in tidepools and coral reefs. It catches food with the tentacles that spread out around its mouth. Each tentacle is_.armed with stinging cells called nematocysts. The poisonous nematocysts protect the anemone from predators.

. The anemone can "fire" these nematocysts to stun or kill prey. The tentacles then pull the prey into the anemone's mouth.

 SIZE: Anemones range from 3-4 inches wide up to 2 feet across (giant anemone of Australia).

. POISONOUS TENTACLES: The effects on a person who accidentally touches a sea anemon can range from a mild rash of slow-healing welts to extremely painful, almost paralizing stings.

PREDATOR: fish, sea stars

.Sea Urchin

A sea urchin is a globe-shaped invertebrate with a spine-studded shell encasing its body. The brittle, sharp spines stick out of its body like pins in a pin cushion. The spines of some sea urchins are filled with venom.

.SPINES: Sea urchins pose a potential danger since they are difficult to see when burrowed into rocks and crevices. The sea urchin's spines are brittle and sharp and can easily become lodged in an intruder's flesh.

PREDATOR: fish, sea otters

PREY: algae, decaying matter

.Walrus

Although this marine mammal is often thought of as a friendly, comical creature, it is an extremely powerful predator and can be very dangerous when protecting its young. Walrus have been known to kill animals as large as polar bears, beluga whales, and even killer whales in attempts to guard their young.

.  Any person that ventures into a walrus's territory and threatens the young is in danger. Entire herds (100 or more) have been observed attacking boats that contained hunters, smashing their huge bodies against the boats and even plunging their tusks through the planking.

SIZE: A bull walrus can weigh as much as 3,000 pounds and grow to a length of 12 feet.

.  

TUSKS: The tusks are actually canine teeth which can grow to a length of three feet and are sharp enough to be lethal weapons.

PREDATOR: killer whale, man

PREY: fish, clams, squid, octopus

. On that cheerful note, we end this glimpse into the bizarre and painful world of dangerous and venomous marine life. Remember that the ocean is the original source of almost everything we value ---our food, our water, our waves, ourselves, and that nature is always in balance ... good and evil, yin and yang. If the waves and conditions are perfect, that's the time to be suspicious. Danger of one kind or another is hiding there, somewhere. Go for it - but be careful!

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