The Reef Stonefish Of Mauritius (Synanceia verrucosa)
This month's article series will discuss...
the island of Mauritius! Mauritius is an island nation that exists in the Indian Ocean. It is off the eastern coast of Africa, & it is semi-close to the eastern areas of Madagascar. It is known for its beautiful beaches & active marine life. The main reason for this marine life is their well-kept coral reefs & seagrass meadows. It is a sovereign nation & the people primarily speak French. The French name for Mauritius is Maurice. It is tropical & is one of the most visited countries of all the African nations. It is approximately 1,017.47 Nautical / Marine miles off the coast of Africa. It is also approximately 2724.90 Nautical / Marine Miles off the coast of Antarctica. Additionally, the isle is approximately 2088.98 Nautical / Marine Miles off the coast of the continent known as Asia, specifically the country of India. The island is home to approximately 1,262,523 people. It has many thriving marine ecosystems which include coral reefs. The Mauritian government & the Mauritian people will take care of these coral reefs. This can be seen in many beach clean-ups being conducted. This attracts many marine animals. These species range from tropical fish to dolphins, to even certain species of shark. However there is one species in particular that is unique from all else, this species is known as the Synanceia Verrucosa (Reef Stonefish). It is known as the most poisonous fish on earth. They pack a powerful venom which can easily be lethal to a full grown adult. They are known for camouflaging stones to attack their prey. They are very bumpy & often misshapen to put on this camouflage of being a stone. However, it is still quite colorful. It does not only do this for camouflage from prey, but for camouflage from predators. Certain types of other fish will attempt to consume the stonefish, which is possible. The only way to consume a stonefish without being stung is to catch it completely by surprise, this way its venomous spines do not become erect. It is found near the shoreline in shallow coral reefs, which is somewhat horrifying. In this article, we will discuss the life of the reef stonefish, the mating procedures, tactics, practices, & cycles of the reef stonefish, the distribution of the reef stonefish, & finally the scientific detailings of the reef stonefish. With that being said, let us delve into the reef stonefish.
The Life Of The Reef Stonefish
The reef stonefish was first described in the year 1766 by Carl Linnaeus. It was described in volume one of his novel Systema Naturae. It is unknown how or when he found this species. Commonly, stonefish will grow up to approximately 16 inches (40.64 centimeters). This does change based on gender as usually the females are much larger than the males. They will weigh approximately 5 pounds (2.26796 kilograms), once again this does differ based on gender. Their life span is approximately 7.5 years on average. The intellect of a stonefish is a subject with little understanding. From what is known, they have the same intellect as other types of reef fish. They do not seem to show affection or any type of feeling. They also do not seem to have a very good memory. They are nowhere near as emotionally intelligent or intelligent as a dolphin or reef shark. It is unknown how long this particular species has existed. They are not social creatures at all whatsoever. They are surprisingly not usually aggressive to humans unless aggravated. However, when aggravated, their spines become erect. When their spines become erect they are able to inject their lethal venom into people. Often, they will avoid interaction with humans. They are not known to be aggressive to other fish. They are not very social creatures either. Additionally, they are not known to be very territorial either. They sleep by completely stopping motion & partially burying themselves in coral rubble or sand. Their diet largely consists of reef fish of various kinds, small crustaceans, & certain other small marine species. They are not known to consume cephalopods. It is unknown how much they eat per day but it is most likely between 5% & 10% of their bodily weight. They are also not known to be cannibalistic. They are nocturnal predators & will often hunt at night. This is most likely due to the fact that at nighttime the vision of most fish is limited so the stonefish can easily catch the fish. The most common predators of these creatures are reef sharks. They are incredibly skilled hunters & can sense & catch prey in as little as 0.0015 seconds (1.5 milliseconds). They do not have a relatively high metabolism due to them being sedentary creatures. They do not swim very often. When the stonefish does swim, it will use its pectoral fins not only to swim & hop but more so to burrow deep into coral rubble or sand when hunting prey. The speeds at which they swim are unknown. This species of stonefish is usually brown, red, yellow, orange, or black. They can also be a mix of all of these colors as they are generally not one solid color. The dorsal fin usually contains between 12 to 14 spines & 5 to 7 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines & 5 to 6 soft rays. Their dorsal spines are of equal length to the anal spines. The dorsal spines however have a thicker sheath of skin containing venom glands at the base. The skin has no scales but it does have bumps & warts. It is also very misshapen. The head is wide & flattened. They have small upwardly directed eyes that have a deep pit behind them with a smaller pit underneath them.
The Mating Tactics, Habits, Cycles, & Practices Of The Reef Stonefish
The reef stonefish mates via sexual reproduction. However, the females & the males do not entangle. They do not appear to have a specific breeding season. It is unknown at what age either genders reach sexual maturity. They are not monogamous in any form whatsoever. They are also unable to lactate as they have no parental involvement in their children’s lives. They are also not hermaphroditic & are not able to change sexes in any way whatsoever. The female & male who reproduce together, never actually meet each other. The actual mating process follows something similar to this. Once the female is ready she will lay her unfertilized eggs on the floor of a reef. She will lay as many as 1 million eggs at once on the ocean floor. There, unfortunately, is no actual demographic as to how many of these eggs catch or how many of them live to see adulthood. Afterward, a male will swim over to the egg pile & release his sperm on the eggs in order to fertilize them. After this point there is no parental involvement at all. It is unknown how long it takes for the eggs to hatch. However after the eggs hatch, the creatures are quite well developed. They will then swim off into the ocean & most likely never interact again with each other. This process may be repeated several times in the female's life, it is also unknown if she takes intervals in releasing eggs & if so how long these intervals are.
The Distribution Of The Reef Stonefish
Reef stonefish are the most distributed of all the 5 stonefish species. They are found everywhere from East Africa to the Marquesas general area. They are also found up the Persian Gulf. They are found in the highest density around Australia, Indonesia, & the southeastern areas of Africa. This is due to their liking of warm temperatures. They also usually stay in shallow waters, it is rare to find them in places other than coral reefs. This is also most likely due to the fact that the world's largest coral reefs are found in these areas which provide a habitat for reef stonefish. They are not migratory creatures & will often live a rather sedentary life. They will often stay near the same areas in which they were born. This species in particular is also popular in the private aquarium trade so theoretically if a boat transporting this species were to capsize, this species would escape into the wild. A situation like this is not very far-fetched so precautions to properly transport this species should be set in place.
The Scientific Detailings Of The Reef Stonefish
The stonefish are unique in many aspects however the most prominent aspect is their lethal venom. An article from Science Direct states that “Known components of stonefish venoms include hyaluronidase [15], a 46 kDa protein from S. verrucosa venom with inotropic and chronotropic effects [16] named cardiolipin, and a 45 kDa lectin from S. verrucosa that causes agglutination of rabbit erythrocytes [17]. Large, dimeric pore-forming toxins from both S.”. This venom is located in the dorsal fin spines. When the spines become erect & something causes the spines to sting, the venom will then be injected into the victim. These spines are sharp enough to pierce through the average tennis shoe. When this venom is injected, it may induce intense pain in the site that was punctured, swelling at the initial sting site, respiratory distress, damage to the ability of the cardiovascular system, convulsions, necrosis, complete paralysis, & in extreme cases death. Signs show up usually within minutes. This venom compound is unique to stonefish. This venom is stored in a way that it can be extracted if done correctly. The venom is also produced by a particular gland in the stonefish. Stonefish have incredibly small sharp teeth meant for ripping apart the tissue of fish. Their skeletal system is similar to that of most other ray-skinned fish. It is unknown what exactly they evolved from, but they most likely evolved into what they are now approximately 275 million years ago. Fossils of this particular species are undocumented & it is unknown how many fossils in particular we have of this species. Their phylum is Chordata meaning that they developed these 5 characteristics all species under the phylum of Chordata develop 5 similar characteristics either In adulthood or as juveniles. The characteristics that they develop include, a notochord, dorsal hollow nerve cord, endostyle or thyroid, pharyngeal Slits, & a post-anal tail. Also, all chordates possess a circulatory system. This is not to be confused with the word Cordate, which means something heart-shaped. This is typically used in the context of plants. Their class is Actinopterygii, which means that they are ray-finned fish. This also means that their actinopterygian fin rays attach directly to the proximal or basal skeletal elements. This class comprises over 50% of living vertebrate species. Their order is Scorpaeinformes. This is an order of ray-skinned fish such as lionfish, sculpins, & stonefish. It is one of the largest orders of ray-skinned fish as it has 1,320 species currently categorized under it. Their family is Scorpaenidae. This is a family that holds most of the world's venomous marine fish. Species under this family are mostly found in the Indo-Pacific. The etymology of their name is that it comes from the word scorpionfish. The reason for that is because most animals under this family sting with venomous mucus. Their genus is Synanceia. This genus has all of the living stonefish species categorized within it. This genus contains the most venomous fish ever recorded. Their binomial name is Synanceia verrucosa.
What To Do If You Are Stung By A Reef Stonefish
There are approximately 50,000 injuries due to envenomation at the fault of a stonefish. The following steps are some steps that you may take in order to prevent any further damage to yourself. Please remember that this is not a medical sourcebook & that this information may not work for certain individuals for various reasons.
Step No. 1: Remove Any Spines That May Be Attached
The spines from the stonefish may have come off in the limb that you were stung in. If this is the case, remove the spines with gloves. Do not touch them or remove them with bare hands, use a cloth barrier.
Step No. 2: Immerse The Area In Non-Scalding Hot Water
Studies show that water immersion that is approximately 45° Celsius (113° Fahrenheit) or there about for 30 to 90 minutes helps soothe the wound. Make sure that the water is no higher than 45° Celsius (113° Fahrenheit) to ensure that the person is not burned or injured further.
Step No. 3: Seek Immediate Medical Assistance From A Hospital
This is not the type of sting that is curable on your own. Time is of the essence so immediately go to the hospital after noticing the sting. The more time that you wait the more likely severe complications are. This concludes our segment on what to do in the event of being stung by a Synanceia verrucosa.
Directories / Credits
Strategic Partnerships
Reel Guppy Outdoors
Our Loyal Patrons
Ms. Ochoa
댓글