Darwin beachgoer spots most venomous fish in WORLD washed up on the beach – and nearly stepped on it

By William On Nov 2, 2022

An Australian man who encountered the world’s most poisonous fish last weekend happily lived up to the story.

Daniel Brown was walking around the rock pools on Lee Point beach north of Darwin when he nearly stepped on a deadly stonefish.

Mr Brown posted on Facebook that he and a friend “went exploring the rock pools at Lee Point on Sunday at low tide.

“We were looking for the most venomous octopus in the world – the blue-ringed octopus.”

Stonefish (pictured) are the most venomous fish in the world and its sting can be deadly within an hour

They didn’t find the octopus, but’Instead, we found the most poisonous fish in the world! A stonefish,’ he said.

For those unfamiliar with what a stonefish is, Mr Brown explained that they can “inject a potent venom through their spine if they step on it.”

“This toxin can be fatal to humans if left untreated, but no deaths have been recorded in Australia.”

He said the photo he posted is “exactly how we found it too. Out of the water, on the sand, not buried in it.

“Once we realized it wasn’t dead, we moved it – a delicate operation with straps so as not to touch it with our hands – into the water where it slowly started to bury itself,” said Mr Brown.

He ended his post with the very sensible advice ‘watch out where you step on the beach guys’.

“Not all rocks are really rocks.”

Queensland Health has also warned of the dangers of stonefish.

It advised that ‘to avoid a stonefish sting, sturdy footwear should be worn on reef flats or when wading on soft bottoms adjacent to rocky or weedy areas’.

The warning added that if you are stung by a stonefish, you should “call Triple Zero (000) immediately as an antidote may need to be administered.”

A stonefish can kill an adult in less than an hour.

Even if the sting is not fatal, it is considered one of the most painful experiences you can endure.

Adam Clancy (pictured) made a video after stepping on the stonefish where he lay remarkably relaxed

Last July, a man who survived stepping on a stonefish and wiped the pain away with alcohol was stunned months later to squeeze one of the deadly creature’s long barbs from his foot.

Adam Clancy, 31, received international media attention after he posted a video in which he casually talked about stepping on a stonefish and treating the pain with wine and whiskey.

The professional photographer from the NSW town of Tenterfield was wading off the coast of Moreton Island in Queensland on the night of April 22, camera in hand, when he stepped on the well-disguised stonefish.

“My mate confirmed it was a stonefish and told me to go ashore as I was about to be in a lot of pain,” Mr Clancy told the Daily Mail Australia.

“I went in and another friend got a bucket of hot water for my foot, then I waited for the nurse.”

“He arrived and checked my vitals, then he told me I was ridiculously relaxed about it, despite the pain being a high eight out of 10.”

Stonefish venom can cause heart failure and those injected are advised to get anti-venom treatment as soon as possible

The paramedic offered Mr. Clancy painkillers, but he declined, a decision he laughs about afterwards.

“Yeah, (painkillers) probably would have been the better option, but two glasses of whiskey and a bottle of Shiraz helped me sleep that night,” he said.

The paramedic also suggested that Mr. Clancy go to a hospital on the mainland the next day, but instead he stayed on the island and went back to work the next day.

Mr Clancy posted a TikTok video in which he confides in a deadpan manner, with a glass of red wine in hand, that he has just stepped on “the most poisonous fish in the world.”

“So the paramedic just told me that most people go into shock and pass out from the intense pain,” he says.

“So, apparently I’m the most relaxed man ever in aching pain.”

How dangerous are stonefish? The Queensland Museum explains…

Stonefish are the most poisonous of all fish. They are found in shallow coastal waters of the northern half of Australia. The fish usually lies motionless, often partially buried in the substrate and perfectly camouflaged among the surrounding coral, rocky reef, debris or aquatic vegetation.

The stonefish has 13 sharp, strong dorsal fin spines housed in a shell of thick skin. At the base of each spine are two venom glands that drain their contents along ducts in the spine. When disturbed, the fish erects its spines, but maintains its position on the seabed.

The stings usually occur at the feet of swimmers or waders who have ventured away from clean sandy substrate and closer to the more complex bottom structure preferred by the stonefish. Multiple spines can often invade the affected limbs, resulting in more extensive envenomation. The pain is immediate, excruciating and can last for many days. Muscle paralysis, difficulty breathing, shock and sometimes heart failure and death can result.

To avoid stonefish stings, sturdy footwear should be worn on reef flats or when wading on soft bottoms adjacent to rocky or weedy areas. An antidote for stonefish stings has been developed. In the event of a sting, the victim should exit the water, administer first aid and seek medical attention as soon as possible.