MARINE ANIMALS THAT STING 81 



fever, respiratory distress, convulsions, and death. Complete re- 

 covery from a severe Synanceja sting may require many months, 

 and may have an adverse effect on the general health of the victim. 



Treatment. See Page 91 on the treatment of venomous fish stings. 



Prevention. Zebrafish stings are usually contracted by individuals, 

 who are attracted by their slow movements and lacy-appearing fins 

 and who attempt to pick up the fish with their hands. Most scor- 

 pionfish stings result from the individual removing them from the 

 hook, or nets, and being jabbed by their venomous spines. Stonefish 

 are especially dangerous because of the difficulty of detecting them 

 from their surroundings. Placing one's hands in crevices, or in 

 holes inhabited by these fish, should be done with caution. Knowl- 

 edge of the habits and appearance of these fishes is most important. 



TOADFISHES 



The toadfishes are all members of the family Batrachoididae. All 

 of them are small, bottom fishes which inhabit the warmer waters 

 of the coasts of America, Europe, Africa, and India. Toadfishes 

 have broad, depressed heads, large mouths, and are somewhat re- 

 pulsive in appearance. Most toadfishes are marine, but some are 

 estuarine, or entirely freshwater, ascending rivers for great dis- 

 tances. They hide in crevices, in burrows, under rocks, debris, 

 among seaweed, or lie almost completely buried under a few centi- 

 meters of sand or mud. Toadfishes tend to migrate to deeper water 

 during the winter months, where they remain in a torpid state. 

 They are experts at camouflage. Their ability to change their color 

 to lighter or darker shades at will, and their mottled pattern make 

 these fishes difficult to see. 

 Species of Toadfishes : 



Toadfish, Barchatus cirrhosus (Klunzinger) (Fig. 48, Top). In- 

 habits the Red Sea. 



Toadfish, or Munda, Batrachoides grunniens (Linnaeus) (Fig. 

 48, Center). Inhabits the coasts of Ceylon, India, Burma, and 

 Malaya. 



Toadfish, Batrachoides didactylus (Bloch) (Fig. 48, Bottom). 

 Inhabits the Mediterranean Sea and nearby Atlantic Coasts. 



Toadfish, Oysterfish, Opsanus tau (Linnaeus) (Fig. 49, Top). 

 Found along the Atlantic Coast of United States, from Massachu- 

 setts to the West Indies. 



