Stone Fish

Synanceia is a genus of fish of the family Synanceiidae, the Stonefishes, whose members are venomous, dangerous, and even fatal to humans. It is the most venomous fish in the world. They are found in the coastal regions of Indo-Pacific oceans. They are primarily marine, though some species are known to live in rivers. Its species have potent neurotoxins secreted from glands at the base of their needle-like dorsal fin spines which stick up when disturbed or threatened.The vernacular name of the species, the stonefish, derives from being able to camouflage and transform itself to a gray and mottled color similar to the color of a stone. Divers have sometimes stepped on them, thinking they are stones. The type species of the genus is Synanceia verrucosa, and it includes the species Synanceia horrida that Linnaeus described as Scorpaena.