Young Aussie’s ‘crazy’ encounter with world’s most venomous fish

A young Australian has shocked viewers after he carelessly picked up the world’s most poisonous fish and held it in his bare hands.

Miller Wilson, 20, found the highly venomous stonefish this week, camouflaged in a muddy river on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

The animal lover shared on social media the moment he reached into the shallow water to retrieve the fish from under a rock ledge.

“The tide is coming in and I just spotted the biggest stonefish, the most venomous fish in the world I’ve ever seen,” he tells the camera.

After pulling the stonefish out of the river, he showed it its distinctive spines, which contained enough venom to cause cardiac arrest.

“Look over there… the most poisonous fish in the world… and a pretty big one too, I just found it under this rock ledge here,” he said.

“And they’re mean looking fish. Look at that, pretty crazy.”

Viewers were shocked by the calmness with which Mr. Miller handled the poisonous fish.

“The most poisonous fish in the world, but he picks it up without a care,” someone wrote.

“The most poisonous fish in the world, and then grabs it. Built differently,” noted a second.

A third said: ‘Wow that’s a real stonefish (if you just pick it up), b***** legend!’

“Australians hit differently,” said a fourth.

Others shared their own experiences with stonefish in the comments.

“I stood on one while dragging a bait net behind me when I was about 14 on the Sunshine Coast,” one wrote.

A second wrote: ‘My dad got on one of these in the Northern Territory in 1990. He almost didn’t make it.’

“I can be in a body of water and know they aren’t there and still shit my pants at the thought of these being in the water,” said a third.

Despite Miller’s impressive discovery, experts advise people against coming into contact with stonefish because of their deadly venom.

Professor Calum Brown, from Macquarie University’s School of Natural Sciences, said the footage sent the wrong message to viewers.

“It looks like the boy in the video knows what he’s doing. He’s handling the fish really well and staying well away from the spine,” Mr Callum said. Yahoo News.

‘[But] “It’s just not safe to handle these fish.”

Estuary stonefish contain a toxic chemical known as verrucotoxin. The toxin is found in the 13 sturdy spines on the fish’s dorsal fin.

The venom can cause severe pain and a stonefish sting can cause a variety of symptoms including difficulty breathing, abdominal pain, bleeding and seizures.

Estuary stonefish (pictured), which have excellent camouflage skills, are dangerous to humans because they contain a toxic chemical known as verrucotoxin, which can cause intense pain

Stonefish are also known for their camouflage skills, allowing them to ambush small fish or crustaceans if they get too close.

The venomous fish often resemble pieces of coral or a boulder, allowing them to go unnoticed in waterways.

The creatures are found in warmer waters along Australia’s northern coast, including the Great Barrier Reef, northern New South Wales and areas just above Perth.