Dear Research Gate Friends
The marine bony fish of the families Synanceiidae and Scorpaenidae are considered the most dangerous venomous fish on the planet. Their venom have systemic effects, unlike other known venomous fish, such as catfish and stingrays.
Stonefish are well known, as are the scorpionfish, with several reported and well-studied injuries and envenomations. However some fish described as highly venomous, such as fish of the genus Inimicus (Family Synanceiidae), have no reports of envenomations in details.
These fish, from the Indo-Pacific region, present reasons for us to think that they are really dangerous, due to the classification in the same family of the stonefish and the similar venomous apparatus, but I ask if any colleague has ever observed an envenomation caused by these fish and can be described here, which would be very important for future studies.
Kind regards,
Vidal Haddad Junior
Center of Studies on Aquatic Venomous Animals
Botucatu School of Medicine
Sao Paulo State University
Brazil
Hello from France,
I work in the Poison Control Centre in Marseille which is the Poison Centre of overseas France including Reunion Island and Mayotte Island, both in the Indian Ocean. In these Islands Fish stings are common and usually all the patients said that they were stung by stonefish. However we observed since several decades in both Islands that there is 2 clinical different feature after suposed "stonefish" sting : one severe with local serious lesions (with surgery interventions which are often necessary) and serious genral symptoms (vomiting, diarrhea, malaise, headache, lipothymia...) and one much less severe with very intense local pain but nothing more. The very severe clinical feature is exactely the same that we have in French Polynesia with prooved Synancea stings. For recent cases of fish stings in Reunion and Mayotte with description of intense local pain only, the description of the fish by the patient leads us to think that the responsible fish was not a stonefish but an Inimicus .... But for the moment we do not have captured fish to prove that hypothesis....
Hope this hypothesis can help you.
All the Best from Marseille
Dear Professor de Haro
I know your work in Toxinology and I am very pleased that my question attracted your attention. The fish of the family Synanceiidae are an enigma: after being separated from the family Scorpaenidae, we have to think that the differences can extend to the venoms. I have a small experience with real stonefishes (Synanceia sp.) due to colleagues from Australia and Singapore. I know the severity of the envenomations, which has the potential to cause deaths. But what intrigues me is the fame attributed to the fishes of the Inimicus species, like the one in the photo. Considered extremely venomous, there are no reports of serious envenomations in reliable publications. This is the reason for my request to share experiences.
Your hypothesis is very interesting and may be the key to the issue, with the Inimicus genera being able to cause minor accidents. But it is difficult to capture the fish at the time of the injury ... Our conversation remains curiosity and the possibility of proving the fact that you suppose.
My best regards,
Vidal
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