Among the huge number of fish species, a whole group stands out with the ability to produce poison. As a rule, it is used as a defense, helping the fish cope with large predators. In most cases, poisonous fish live in the tropical zone, although some are also present in Russia.

Almost always in the structure of such aquatic inhabitants there is one or many spikes, with the help of which an injection is made. Special glands that secrete poison "wet" the thorn, so when it penetrates into another organism, infection occurs. The consequences of exposure to fish poisons are different - from mild local irritation to death.

Poisonous representatives of marine fauna, as a rule, have a non-standard color, and skillfully merge with the bottom. Many hunt by burrowing almost completely into the sand. This further increases their danger to humans. Such fish rarely attack first, more often an inexperienced bather or diver steps on them and gets stung.

The simplest and most common fish, which anyone can prick on the poisonous spikes of, is the sea bass. Even bought in a store, after freezing, it has a slight poison on the spikes. An injection of them leads to local irritation that does not go away for about an hour.

warty

This fish is considered the most poisonous in the world. On her back there are sharp spikes through which a strong poison comes out. The wart is dangerous because it is very similar to a stone and is practically invisible on the seabed. A prick of her thorns without urgent medical attention is fatal.

hedgehog fish

This fish is distinguished by the ability to quickly inflate to the shape of a ball. This happens due to the accumulation of large amounts of water in the stomach. Most species of ballfish have venomous quills that cover their entire body. Such protection makes her practically invulnerable.

stingray

Lives in the bottom layer of water. It differs from other stingrays in the presence of a tail with a poisonous spike at the end. The spike is used as a defense. The poison of this stingray is dangerous to humans and without timely help can lead to death.

dog fish

In a calm state, this fish is not much different from others. But when threatened, it can inflate like a balloon, becoming too big for most hunters. On the body there are small spikes that secrete poison.

Lionfish (zebra fish)

Tropical fish with luxurious striped fins. Among the fins there are sharp poisonous spikes used as a defense. Zebra fish is a predator, which itself is an object of commercial fishing: it has tender and tasty meat.

Large sea dragon

During the hunt, this fish digs into the sand, leaving only the eyes on the surface, located very high. The fins and gills are equipped with poisonous spines. The poison of the sea dragon is very strong, there are cases of death of people after an injection on thorns.

Inimicus

The original appearance of the fish makes it easy to get lost among the seabed. The Inimicus hunts by ambushing in the sand or under rock, making it difficult to spot. An injection on the spikes located in the dorsal part causes severe pain.

Sea bass

Fish with a body length of 20 centimeters to one meter. The structure of the fins provides for sharp needles that easily pierce human skin and leave behind a portion of the poison. It is not fatal, but causes persistent painful irritation.

Sea ruff (scorpionfish)

A small fish that can completely shed its old skin. Shedding is possible up to two times a month. Scorpion has very tasty meat and is eaten. However, when catching and cooking, spikes on the body of the fish should be avoided - an injection leads to irritation and local inflammation.

stingray stingray

One of the most dangerous stingrays. It has a long thin tail, at the end of which there is a sharp spike. In case of danger, the stingray can very actively and skillfully wield its tail, hitting the attacker. A thorn sting brings both serious physical injury and poisoning.

Spiny shark katran

This type of shark is the most widespread in the world. Katran does not pose a serious danger to humans, but can cause minor injury. The rays of the fins have glands that produce poison. The injection is very painful, causes irritation and local inflammation.

Arabic surgeon

A small fish with a beautiful contrasting coloration. It has sharp fins equipped with poisonous glands. In a calm state, the fins are folded, but when threatened, they unfold and can be used as a blade.

puffer fish

Strictly speaking, "fugu" is the name of a Japanese delicacy made from brown puffer. But it so happened that the puffer also began to be called puffer. Its internal organs contain a strong poison that can easily kill a person. Despite this, the puffer is cooked according to a certain technology, after which it is eaten.

toad fish

Fish of medium size, living near the bottom. It hunts by burrowing into the sand. The pricks of its poisonous thorns cause severe pain and inflammation. Toad fish is distinguished by the ability to make sounds. They can be so loud that they cause pain in a person's ears.

Conclusion

Poisonous fish are very diverse, but are similar in the nature of the introduction of a poisonous substance into the body of a threatening creature. In the vast majority of cases, such representatives of the marine fauna are distinguished by a bright, non-standard color. Often this circumstance does not help to detect the poisonous inhabitant of the sea, but, on the contrary, hides it among colorful corals, algae and stones.

Fish are most dangerous if they are accidentally disturbed. Considering such an act as a threat, they can inflict an injection. Therefore, it is extremely important to be careful when in a reservoir with dangerous inhabitants.

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Many of us know that fish is not only tasty, but also healthy. But there are some varieties, the use of which can be harmful to health.

Adme. ru will talk about 9 types of fish that should be included in the diet as rarely as possible or should be abandoned altogether. Read and stay healthy.

Catfish can grow to impressive sizes, and many fish farms feed them with hormones to speed up this process. Particularly different in this regard is the fish that is imported from Asian countries. The catfish that grows in the wild is harmless and more valuable from a nutritional point of view.

Tuna, especially blackfin and bluefin, contains a lot. In addition, there is almost no natural-grown tuna on the shelves, as it is on the verge of extinction, and all purchased fish comes from farms where they are fed with antibiotics and hormones.

There are few useful fatty acids in tilapia, but in terms of the concentration of harmful fats, it can even compete with lard. Excessive consumption of this fish increases the level of bad cholesterol and makes the body more sensitive to allergens.

Due to the high content of adipose tissue, the eel easily absorbs industrial and agricultural waste present in the water. The level of intoxication with these substances is especially high in American individuals. The European eel is also characterized by infection with large doses of mercury.

The main volume of pangasius that is supplied to our country is grown in Vietnam, in the Mekong River, which is one of the most polluted water bodies in the world. In addition to mercury, the fillet of this fish contains an increased level of nitrofurazone and polyphosphates (carcinogens).

This fish has the highest level of mercury contamination. In addition, when catching it, the required rules are often not followed, so there is a high risk of getting food poisoning.

01/22/2018 at 11:06 am Johnny · 3 330

Top 10 Most Poisonous Fish in the World

For most people, representatives of the fauna such as spiders or scorpions are associated with the word "poisonous". Fish, as a rule, appear at the end of the listing. It is not surprising, because due to the habitats of these creatures, a person may not meet poisonous fish with his own eyes for a lifetime (which, in general, is not bad). However, there are daredevils who only crave to run into a dangerous representative of the marine world - in addition to their main “trump card”, poisonous fish often have a very unusual appearance, which attracts additional attention to them. Deceptive beauty is dangerous not only in the habitat, some fish can pose a threat already in the plate. In order not to dine for the last time, you must strictly adhere to the technology of cooking specific fish. So, for thrill-seekers, we present the ten most poisonous fish on the planet.

10 Zebra Fish

This striped predator, which lives near the Asian and Australian coasts, has wide fins resembling real fans - it looks really impressive. However, you should be careful not to enjoy the spectacle, because the zebra fish is a threat not only to its "colleagues" in the ocean (a motley bandit can easily swallow a 20-centimeter fish). The reason for this is the very chic fans, in which the needles filled with poison are located. For an unprepared person, a meeting with a zebra fish can turn into a real disaster, and the hellish pain from an injection is only half the trouble. If you do not seek help in time, the poison will activate and lead to paralysis of the muscles and respiratory organs, and this can already result in death.

9. Shark katran

Katrans do not fit the stereotypes about sharks. This small fish (about a meter long) will never attack a person first. Small sharks live in almost the entire ocean space of the planet. But are they so harmless, and why are they on this list then? Since a person is always looking for a meeting with katrans (commercial fish), he takes a conscious risk. On the dorsal fins of a mini shark there are spikes, in the back of which poisonous glands are hidden. Most wounds occur when the fish is pulled from the net - the fisherman gets a severe burn, accompanied by prolonged pain. The poison of the katran is not fatal, but the wound will ache for several days.

8 Pufferfish

A flat fish about the size of a medium cucumber that swims tail first off the coast of Japan. The well-known image of a goggle-eyed spiky ball fugu takes only in case of danger. In general, such a funny camouflage to the human eye is the only means of protecting this fish. I? Oh yes, almost all the insides of the fugu are filled with tetrodoxin (the poison belongs to the group of nerve agents, a dose of 1 mg is fatal for a person). In Japan, fugu is a recognized delicacy, the cook needs a special license to prepare it, and the cooking itself consists of 30 rigorous steps. However, puffer venom causes about 10 deaths each year (reported only).

7. Toad fish

Unlike the zebrafish, the next one on our list is a far cry from traditional beauty and aesthetics. You can meet poisonous toad fish in the coastal waters of South and Central America. The main "trump card" of this small (about 35 cm long) creature is in the dorsal fin, where several spikes with a dangerous substance lurk. In general, there are not so many prerequisites for a person to be stung by a toad fish, but if painful contact has already occurred, then you should not panic and sharply draw up a will. The sensations, of course, are extremely unpleasant, but still the poison of the toad fish is not fatal to humans.

6. Wart

Stone fish or wart also does not differ in special beauty, but it easily disguises itself as sea stones (hence the name). The habitat of the creature is the shallow areas of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Tourists from Europe have a chance to meet warts on. The trouble with such a meeting is that, having stepped on a stone with a "surprise", a person receives an injection in 12 "syringes" of the dorsal fin of the wart, which contain the strongest poison. Is it worth talking about pain if a person is ready to tear off his own leg. It is important that the unlucky hiker get immediate medical attention as the poison can cause death within 2 hours.

5. Stingray

This flat fish, very similar to a frying pan, is found in all tropical waters. The lion's share of life stingrays spend at the bottom, and tend to burrow into the sand for the purpose of disguise, so a careless tourist can step on the fish. The spike with poison is located in the tail of the stingray (hence the name), however, the creature uses its potential only for defense purposes, and the poison does not pose a mortal danger. However, there is one known case where neither statement worked. The victim was the famous naturalist Steve Irwin, who was conducting another underwater survey. Contrary to expectations, one of the stingrays was the first to deliver a devastating tail blow to Irwin's chest, causing instant death - the sting hit right in the heart.

4. Sea dragon

This inhabitant of the Black Sea and some parts of the Mediterranean in its normal state resembles a large sprat 30 cm long, painted with unusual patterns. Since the fish lives in shallow water and does not like to advertise its own presence (hiding or disguising itself), inadvertently a person can step on a dragon. In this case, the creature activates the spikes found in the dorsal fin and gills, from which poisonous glands enter the body of the "offender". There is a sharp burning pain, accompanied by swelling and convulsions. In order to avoid serious consequences, a person must provide first aid within 10 minutes.

3. Scorpio

In the tropical and subtropical waters of our planet, the scorpionfish lives - a fish with a unique appearance and the ability to molt. By itself, the creature is still unlikely to be beautiful, but the colorful coloring of the scorpionfish in thousands of options is simply amazing. In the same way as the poisonous arsenal of fish, there are about 20 dangerous spikes along the perimeter of the body. The color of scorpions contributes to their easy disguise, so the fish can be overlooked and accidentally touched or stepped on. Despite the impressive number of thorns, scorpion venom is not fatal, but symptoms such as pain shock, low blood pressure and numbness are provided to the victim for several days.

2. Inimicus

A small coral fish that lives in tropical waters, as well as off the coast of Japan, can carry a great danger to humans. Like most of the representatives of our list, the main weapon of the inimicus (thorns with a poisonous substance) is hidden in the dorsal fins. The injection of this creature is rightly equated with the bite of a viper, the main thing here is the timely assistance rendered to a bather who has unsuccessfully entered the sea. By the way, our old acquaintances from Japan catch inimikus and use them as ... well, of course, a delicacy. True, the cooking technology in this case is no longer so strict.

1 Surgeon Fish

Finally, the most charming member of our list. Indeed, the surgeon fish looks extremely cute and cute. However, this flat 40-centimeter beauty always carries poisonous blades-thorns like a scalpel (hence, in fact, the name). The fish is not predatory and uses its "ace in the hole" only when necessary. Such a need, by the way, may be the desire of a person to touch a cute fish. If unwanted contact has occurred, then the wound should be washed with hot water or treated with a hairdryer as soon as possible - under the influence of temperature, the poison is destroyed and loses its destructive properties.

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Not all fish are healthy. There is one from which it is better to stay away, and if you allow yourself to eat a piece, then a small one and only occasionally

Volumes have been written about the benefits of fish. It is widely believed that fish and seafood are unconditionally healthy. In fact, this is not entirely true: not all fish are useful. There is one from which it is better to stay away, and if you allow yourself to eat a piece, then a small one and only occasionally.

1. Imported catfish, pangasius, Taiwan catfish, tilapia. The vast majority of imported farmed fish (90%) comes from Vietnam, where the use of antibiotics, which are banned in many countries, is widely practiced in its cultivation. Catfish living in the wild and caught in our country can be considered safe.

2. Imported (Atlantic) cod. Its use is not so much a challenge to health as an act of vandalism, because due to uncontrolled fishing and other unfavorable conditions, Atlantic cod is almost on the verge of extinction and being listed in the Red Book. But if you can't imagine life without cod, then you can safely enjoy the Pacific Ocean views, which are still very numerous.

3. Eel. Eel is a delicious fish that is widely used in making sushi. And it got on the list of harmful fish due to the fact that it is extremely contaminated with mercury and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), which not only kill the liver, but also accumulate in the body. Eel fish farms tend to be very polluted with various wastes and suffer from overproduction and overcrowding. A safe alternative to eel is Atlantic or Pacific squid.

4. Shrimps. They top the list of unhealthy fish due to their high levels of cholesterol and pollutants, and they are hard to avoid as over 90% of shrimp are imported. Imported farm shrimp are imported along with a “charming” set of contaminants: antibiotics, chemicals that enter the water after cleaning the cages, and even garbage such as mouse and rat hairs, droppings, insect remains, etc. And this is not to mention various a kind of bacteria, such as E. coli, which is often found in shrimp.

5. Atlantic flounder. This group of fish includes turbot, salt, rhombus, glossa, kalkan, limed, sole and halibut caught in the Atlantic. They have been blacklisted due to high levels of pollution, as well as overfishing that began as early as the 1800s. Ecologists estimate that the population of flounder in the Atlantic is only 1% of the number acceptable for long-term fishing. A safer alternative is Pacific halibut.

7. Shark. The use of shark meat is undesirable immediately for a number of reasons. Firstly, the meat of these predators contains too much mercury. Secondly, fishing for this fish disrupts the ocean ecosystem. The decline in the number of sharks leads to the "clogging" of the oceans with species that sharks prey on: jellyfish and rays. And stingrays, in turn, destroy the population of small commercial fish. Meanwhile, mackerel or halibut can serve as an excellent substitute for a shark.

8. Atlantic tuna. Recent analyzes show that Atlantic tuna contains record amounts of mercury compared to other fish species and even other types of tuna. In addition, the Atlantic tuna is also threatened with extinction. If you are a tuna lover, then buy the Pacific species and choose young, medium-sized individuals that have not had time to accumulate a lot of mercury.

The waters of our planet have become so polluted that it is quite difficult to determine which fish are safe and which are not. The usefulness of fish depends on its habitat, natural or farmed, the quality of the feed, the level of contaminants such as mercury, and many other factors. Lists of “good” fish may change from year to year for a number of environmental and production reasons, but it is better to completely abandon the above types of fish and seafood. Moreover, only a small amount of fish and seafood is inspected before they hit the counter. It is especially not recommended to use such fish for pregnant women and children.