Stonefish

Synanceia verrucosa

The reef stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) is a venomous marine ray-finned fish in the subfamily Synanceiinae, placed within the scorpionfish family Scorpaenidae. It is the most widely distributed of the stonefishes, occurring mostly in the shallows of the Red Sea and the Indo-Pacific. Its venom is extremely potent and can be lethal to humans, and the species serves as the type species of the genus Synanceia.

Family

Synanceiidae

Avg Size

30-40 cm

Habitat

This stonefish occurs chiefly north of the Tropic of Capricorn and is the most widespread member of its family. It inhabits shallow tropical seas in the western Pacific and Indian Oceans, from the Red Sea and coastal East Africa to French Polynesia, southern Japan and Taiwan. It has also turned up in the far eastern Mediterranean since at least 2010, when one was caught near Yavne, Israel, after arriving either as a released aquarium fish or through the Suez Canal, and has since been seen off Turkey, Lebanon and Syria. It lives in coral reefs.

Behaviour

The reef stonefish feeds mainly on small fish, shrimp and other crustaceans. It hunts by lying perfectly still on the reef bottom until prey passes within reach, then engulfs the animal with astonishing speed; strikes as fast as 0.015 seconds have been recorded.

Where & When to See It

Woodhouse Reef

Stonefish

Where & When to See It

More Fish