Dangerous Fish

[backley420]

I am just wondering what types of aquarium fish can kill a man.

 

[GobyMaster]

Well, some stingrays can, if they get you in the right spot, just look at Steve Irwin

And I'm sure some reef sharks and lemon sharks could if you could find them. That's all I'm aware of.

Still don't get why you want to know that, but, not my business!

GobyMaster

 

[backley420]

Well I was on this site and it would give a description of a fish and a section said - poisonous or dangerous or safe. Could never find an ANQUARIUM fish that could kill you.

I'm losing sleep over this!!!!

 

[andywg]

Most obvious is the Reef Stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) and it is quite probable that the rest of the genus Synanceia can inflict fatal wounds.

There are some reports of allergic reactions to venom carried by all the family Scorpaenidae leading to death, though this is far from common.

 

[treelo]

TBH, i really dont what sort of person would ask this type of question

so you dont want to keep fish that can kill you, but you are interested in fish that may be able to kill you?

i can think of easier ways to die

 

[MoonstruckMuse]

Theoretically, if you went swimming with your fish and starved them a lot, I'm sure most toothy carnivorous fish might give you a nibble. And a nibble in the right places might kill you? But you'd have to be pretty stupid to be chewed on and stay in the tank.

Lionfish are pretty poisonous, not sure if fatally so, though.

Even mildly poisonous fish are probably dangerous if you get stung somewhere sensitive, though again, pretty darn stupid to stay there and provoke fish on numerous occasions to attack you.

 

[andywg]

Lionfish are pretty poisonous, not sure if fatally so, though.

Technically they are not poisonous; they are venomous. Poisonous (such as puffers) refers to something which contains a toxin in the skin to affect the predator during consumption, venomous indicates that the animal can get the toxin into you in other ways (such as standing on a scorpionfish) without having to be eaten first.

Lionfish are in the subfamily Pteroinae which is part of the family Scorpaenidae, though their venom is not as potent as the stonefish of the subfamily Synanceinae (stonefishes), though if you are allergic to the venom then there is the possibility of serious consequences.

Some marine hitchhikers (such as nematodes) can give particularly nasty amounts of venom that can lead to temporary paralysis, I dare say one could die as a result of contact with one, should the right conditions prevail.

 

[Underwurlde]

Piranahs: I mean have you seen the film!!
Oh and flying Piranahs: I mean, have you seen the film!!

LOL

Andy

BTW, I have no idea how to spell 'Piranha'

 

[ecotack]

A guy I bought a great dane off had a fantastic marine set up. When I asked if the lion fish was dangerous he said its the sea urchin you needed to keep clear of.

 

[Fella]

Clown Loaches and Corydoras can inflict puncture wounds.

Puffers can bite, and are venemous if consumed (although not always the ones in aquaria)

Stonefish can sting with venemous spines.

Rays have a stinger on their tail.

Scats have a venemous dorsal.


There are literally hundreds of fish that provide some kind of danger when handled/mishandled, and these fish mostly have these mechanisms as defence.

 

[The-Wolf]

The candiru, canero or toothpick fish Vandellia cirrhosa and other catfish in the genus Vandellia.
this is the one that swims into some peoples , erm... orafices, and has backwards spines to keep it there resulting in an operation to remove it, without which it is entirely conceivable that death could occur in the human victim (not that it has been scientifically confirmed to have happened yet) due to infections or other complications, especially when you are in the middle of a tropical rainforest without access to medical help.

and don't forget the electric eel Electrophorus electricus can be dangerous to those that have no idea how to keep them.

 

[Hooligan]

Electric Eels are just pussy cats really, wouldn't hurt a fly... Although some people may say otherwise.

And of course your forgetting the electric catfish, people will argue they're dangerous but the one we have is a big pussy cat as well...

 

[treelo]

The candiru, canero or toothpick fish Vandellia cirrhosa and other catfish in the genus Vandellia.
this is the one that swims into some peoples , erm... orafices, and has backwards spines to keep it there resulting in an operation to remove it, without which it is entirely conceivable that death could occur in the human victim (not that it has been scientifically confirmed to have happened yet) due to infections or other complications, especially when you are in the middle of a tropical rainforest without access to medical help.

thanks for that mate, im not sure i needed that much info TBH

 

[Straydum]

electric eels are able to generate 500 volts and 500 wattes of current. possible effects on the human body. ventricular interference, pain, respiratory difficulty. not fatal though.

 

[andywg]

electric eels are able to generate 500 volts and 500 wattes of current. possible effects on the human body. ventricular interference, pain, respiratory difficulty. not fatal though.

A watt is a measurement of power - or energy use/generation per second, being 1 joule of energy per second.

Electrical current is measured in Amperes, or Amps.

I seem to recall reading that an electric eel will indeed hit 500-600 volts and the current can surpass 1, possibly 2 Amps. This gives the potential for more than a kW of electrical power to hit you.

Whether it would be fatal or not is open to some question. Research by some scientists into the form of the wave of the electrical pulse has in some cases indicated that strongly electrical fishes (such as electric eels and catfish) do not create a long enough pulse to cause any real damage when hunting, however the electric catfish has been found with myriad of fish generally considered too swift to be caught by the relatively cumbersome fish in its stomach.