Stinging fish

Australia has numerous stinging fish distributed throughout its waters. Many of these fish are found in tropical areas, but others are present in temperate waters or throughout Australia.

The major clinical feature of these fish stings is immediate severe pain which may be prolonged and difficult to manage even with narcotic analgesia. The pain will usually subside within 24 hours, but swelling may persist for several days. First aid consists of immersion of the affected area (almost always a hand or foot) in hot water. This is thought to inactivate the venom and to improve local blood flow thus dispersing the venom. Infiltration of the wound with local anaesthetic agents provides dramatic relief in most cases, although occasionally a regional nerve block may be required. Tetanus prophylaxis should be updated if required, and the wound should be examined for signs of infection or retained foreign material in the form of broken spines. Xrays should be performed if possible.

Common Australian stinging fish include:

• Notesthes robusta (Bullrout or Kroki, also known as Scorpion fish, Wasp fish, Rock cod)
• Scorpaena cardinalis (Red Rock cod)
• Siganus lineatus (Rabbit fishes)
• Pterois volitans (Butterfly cod)
• Hydrolagus lemures (Rat fish)
• Centropogon australis (Fortescue)
• Plotosus lineatus, Cnidoglanis macrocephalis, Tachysurus sp.(Catfish)
• Acanthuridae sp. (Surgeonfish)
• Glyptauchen sp. (Goblinfish)
• Enoplosus armatus (Zebra fish, Old wife)
• Gymnaspistes marmoratus (Scorpion fish, Soldier fish, South Australian cobbler)
• Platycephalidae family (Flatheads)
• Halophryne diemensis, Batrachomeus dubius (Frogfish)
• Neosebastes pandus (Gurnard Perch, Gurnard Scorpionfish)
• Inimicus sp (Ghouls)

Related Treatments

• Stinging fish, Treatment - including stone fish and stingray injuries

Related Venomous creatures

• Marine creatures, Australian
• Stingrays, Order: Myliobatiformes
• Stone fish, Family: Synancejidae, Genus: Synanceia

Books

• Edmonds, C., Dangerous Marine Creatures, Reed Books, Frenchs Forest, NSW, 1989. [ Details... ]
• Evans, H. M., Sting-Fish and Seafarer, Faber and Faber, London, 1943. [ Details... ]
• Stackhouse, J., Australia's Venomous Wildlife, Paul Hamlyn, Sydney, 1970, 144 pp. [ Details... ]

Journal Articles

• Cleland, J. B., 'Injuries and Diseases in Australia Attributable to Animals (Insects Excepted). Series V: Mammals, Fish, Spiders, Mites and Ticks Etcetera, Shell Fish, Sponges, Protozoa', The Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 2, 1942, pp. 313-320. [ Details... ]
• Hiyama, T., 'Report on Research on Poisonous Fshes of the South Seas', Jap. Fish Exp. Sta. Odativara. Sp. pub., 1943, p. 137. [ Details... ]
• Murtha, E. F., 'Pharmacological Study of Poisons from Shellfish and Puffer Fish', Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, vol. 90, no. 3, 1960, pp. 820-836. [ Details... ]
• Wuth, E. M., 'On Fish-Poison', The Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 22, 1877, pp. 273-276. [ Details... ]