Young Aussies crazy encounter with worlds most venomous fish
A young Aussie has left viewers shocked after he casually picked up and held the worlds most venomous fish in his bare hands.
A young Aussie has left viewers shocked after he casually picked up and held the worlds most venomous fish in his bare hands.
Miller Wilson, 20, found the highly toxic estuary stonefish camouflaged in a muddy river on Queenslands Sunshine Coast this week.
The animal enthusiast shared the moment he reached into the shallow water to grab the fish from underneath a rock ledge on social media.
The tide is coming up and Ive just spotted the biggest stonefish, the worlds most venomous fish, that Ive ever seen, he tells the camera.
After pulling the stonefish from the river he showed off its distinctive spikes that contain enough toxin to cause cardiac arrest.
Take a look at that... that the worlds most venomous fish... pretty big one as well, just found him under this rock ledge here, he said.
And they are a mean-looking fish. Look at that, pretty crazy.
Viewers were left shocked by how calmly Mr Miller handled the venomous fish.
The worlds most venomous fish, but picks it up casually, one person wrote.
Worlds most venomous fish, then proceeds to grab it. Built different, a second commented.
A third shared: Wow thats a solid stonefish (as you casually pick it up) b***** legend!
Australians hit different, a fourth said.
Others shared their own experiences with stonefish in the comments.
I stood on one while dragging a bait net at about 14-years-old on the Sunshine Coast, one person wrote.
A second wrote: My dad stepped on one of these in the Northern Territory back in 1990. He nearly didnt survive.
I can be in an area of water where I know they wont be and Ill still c*** myself at the thought of these being in the water, a third said.
Mr Miller (pictured with the stonefish) left viewers shocked after handling the fish with ease
Despite Mr Millers impressive discovery, experts have urged people not to interact with stonefish due to their life-threatening venom.
Professor Calum Brown from the School of Natural Sciences at Macquarie University said the footage sent the wrong message to viewers.
It looks to me like the kid in the video knows what he is doing. He handles the fish very well and stays well away from the dorsal spines, Mr Callum told YahooNews.
[But] it is simply not safe to handle these fish.
Estuary stonefish contain a toxic chemical known as verrucotoxin. The venom is found in the 13 stout spines located on the dorsal fin of the fish.
The toxin can cause intense pain and a stonefish sting can cause several symptoms including difficulty breathing, abdominal pain, bleeding and seizures.
Estuary stonefish (pictured), who have superb camouflage abilities, are dangerous to humans as they contain a toxic chemical known as verrucotoxin that can cause intense pain
Stonefish are also known for their camouflage abilities, which allow the species to ambush small fish or crustaceans that come close enough for it to attack.
The poisonous fish often look like lumps of coral or encrusted rock, which helps them go undetected in waterways.
The creatures are found in warmer waters across Australias northern coastline, including the Great Barrier Reef, northern NSW and areas just above Perth.
