Synanceia was first described as a genus in 1801 by the German naturalistsMarcus Elieser Bloch and Johann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider with Scorpaena horrida, which had been described by Carl Linnaeus in 1766 from Ambon Island (Indonesia), as its type species.[1][4] The genus Synanceia is classified within the tribeSynanceiini which is one of three tribes in the subfamily Synanceeinae within the family Scorpaenidae.[5] Despite this, other authorities regard Synanceiidae as a valid family and the Synanceiini as the subfamily Synanceiinae.[1] The genus name Synanceia is made up of syn, meaning "with", and angeíon, which means "cavity", an allusion to the large, cavernous heads of the species considered to be in the genus.[6]
Synanceia quinque Matsunuma, Manjaji‑Matsumoto & Motomura, 2021
Indonesia
Habitat and characteristicsedit
Synanceia are primarily marine, and although some species are known to live in rivers, most live in coral reefs near the tropical Pacific and Indian oceans. The species has potent neurotoxins secreted from glands at the base of their needle-like dorsal fin spines which stick up when disturbed or threatened.[8] The vernacular name of the species, the stonefish, derives from its grey and mottled camouflage similar to the color of a stone.[9] Swimmers may not notice them and inadvertently step on them, triggering a sting. When the stonefish is disturbed, it may inject an amount of venom proportional to the amount of pressure applied to it.[citation needed] Stonefish have the ability to extend sharp, specialized spines (lachrymal saber) as an additional defense mechanism.[10][11]
Venomedit
The venom of Synanceia consists of a proteinaceous toxin called verrucotoxin (VTX), which modulates Ca2+ channel activity through the β-adrenoceptor-cAMP-PKA pathway. In humans, stings can cause intense pain, respiratory weakness, damage to the cardiovascular system, convulsions and paralysis; sometimes they can lead to death. The exact mechanism is not yet fully understood.[12]
Treatment of envenomationedit
Stonefish stings are extremely painful and potentially lethal.[13] The two most recommended treatments are the application of heat to the affected area and antivenom. Hot water (at a temperature of at least 45 °C (113 °F))[14] applied to the injured area has been found to denature stonefish venom, and causes minimal discomfort to the victim. Antivenom is used in more extreme cases. Vinegar is found on some Australian beaches as it is said to lessen the pain.[15]
Stonefish stings in Australiaedit
The stonefish is the most venomous known fish in the world[16] and stings can cause death if not treated.[17] Most stonefish stings occur as a result of stepping on the creature which forces venom into the foot, while it is less common for the fish to sting when it is picked up.[18] Stonefish stings can occur on the beach, not just in the water, since stonefish can survive out of the water for up to 24 hours. They are not easily seen as they look similar to rocks or coral. Stonefish antivenom is the second-most administered in Australia.[19][verification needed]
Some Indigenous Australians have corroborees which involve re-enacting the death of someone who trod on the fish. The Aboriginal people of Northern Australia and the Great Barrier Reef have ways of preparing the fish for eating to avoid poisoning.[20]
After stonefish envenomation, the amount of anti-venom given depends on the number of puncture wounds from the stonefish spines.[21]
Number of incidentsedit
1936 article from Melbourne newspaper The Argus about venomous stonefish.
There were 25 cases of the use of antivenom for stonefish reported to Commonwealth Serum Laboratories for a one-year period between July 1989 and June 1990, with most from Queensland and four from the Northern Territory.[22] There were 14 calls to the Queensland Poisons Information System in 2008 regarding stonefish poison.[23]
Synanceia is edible to humans if properly prepared. The protein-based venom quickly breaks down when heated, and raw stonefish served as part of sashimi is rendered harmless simply by removing the dorsal fins which are the main source of venom. The fish are considered a delicacy in many parts of Asia, including south Japan, south Fujian, Guangdong in China, and Hong Kong. In the Hokkien-speaking area, they are considered delicacies and good for health. The meat of Synanceia is white, dense and sweet, and the skin is also edible. They are usually cooked with ginger into a clear soup, and sometimes served raw as sashimi.
Pop Cultureedit
In "Blue Lagoon (1980)," Emmeline Lestrange (played by Brooke Shields) unknowingly steps on a stonefish and is almost fatally poisoned.[27] The movie was filmed on Espiritu Santo island in Vanuatu, which is known for having stonefish which can grow up to 40 centimeters long.[28]
^J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. pp. 468–475. ISBN978-1-118-34233-6.
^Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (10 March 2022). "Order Perciformes (Part 10): Suborder Scorpaenoidei: Families Apistidae, Tetrarogidae, Synanceiidae, Aploacrinidae, Perryenidae, Eschmeyeridae, Pataceidae, Gnathanacanthidae, Congiopodidae and Zanclorhynchidae". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
^. O'Connor，J. Southern Cross University. Archived from the original on 23 August 2004. Retrieved 14 June 2009.
^Pocock, C.A. "Romancing the Reef: history, heritage and the hyper-real." James Cook University Ph.D. Thesis. 2003. Accessed 2009-06-14.
^Smith, W. Leo; Smith, Elizabeth; Richardson, Clara (February 2018). "Phylogeny and Taxonomy of Flatheads, Scorpionfishes, Sea Robins, and Stonefishes (Percomorpha: Scorpaeniformes) and the Evolution of the Lachrymal Saber". Copeia. 106 (1): 94–119. doi:10.1643/CG-17-669. S2CID 91157582.
^Willingham, AJ (13 April 2018). "Stonefish are already scary, and now scientists have found they have switchblades in their heads". CNN.
^Rebecca, Sarah. "The Most Excruciating Pain Known To Man." Scienceray. (29 Dec 2010): 1. Print. . Archived from the original on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2012..
^White, Julian (2013). A Clinician's Guide to Australian Venomous Bites and Stings: Incorporating the Updated Antivenom Handbook. Melbourne, Victoria: CSL Ltd. ISBN978-0-646-57998-6.
^Taylor, G. (2000). . South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society Journal. 30 (1). ISSN 0813-1988. OCLC 16986801. Archived from the original on 29 June 2008. Retrieved 18 June 2009.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^Stonefish Envenomation, adventure medicine 28 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
^Marine Envenomation, Hornbeak, Kirsten B., and Paul S. Auerbach. Emergency Medicine Clinics 35.2 (2017): 321-337.
^"Where was The Blue Lagoon filmed?". giggster.com. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
^Aurimas (10 November 2022). "Dangerous Animals In Vanuatu". Go Look Explore. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
Further readingedit
FishBase entry
"Synanceia Bloch & Schneider 1801:194 (xxxvii, 573)". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. 19 September 2008. Retrieved 29 December 2008.
External linksedit
National Geographic video, Deadly Stone Fish
Reef Stonefish, Synanceia verrucosa Australian museum
October 27, 2023
synanceia, tropical, fish, ocosia, spinosa, genus, finned, fish, belonging, subfamily, synanceiinae, stonefishes, which, classified, within, family, scorpaenidae, scorpionfishes, relatives, stonefishes, most, venomous, fish, known, stings, fatal, humans, they,. For the tropical fish see Ocosia spinosa Synanceia is a genus of ray finned fish belonging to the subfamily Synanceiinae the stonefishes which is classified within the family Scorpaenidae the scorpionfishes and relatives Stonefishes are the most venomous fish known stings can be fatal to humans 2 3 They are found in the coastal regions of the Indo Pacific SynanceiaType specie Synanceia horrida 1796 illustrationScientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass ActinopterygiiOrder ScorpaeniformesFamily ScorpaenidaeSubfamily SynanceiinaeTribe SynanceiiniGenus SynanceiaBloch and J G Schneider 1801Type speciesScorpaena horridaLinnaeus 1766 1 Contents 1 Taxonomy 1 1 Species 2 Habitat and characteristics 2 1 Venom 3 Treatment of envenomation 3 1 Stonefish stings in Australia 3 2 Number of incidents 3 3 Fatal incidents 4 As food 5 Pop Culture 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksTaxonomy editSynanceia was first described as a genus in 1801 by the German naturalists Marcus Elieser Bloch and Johann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider with Scorpaena horrida which had been described by Carl Linnaeus in 1766 from Ambon Island Indonesia as its type species 1 4 The genus Synanceia is classified within the tribe Synanceiini which is one of three tribes in the subfamily Synanceeinae within the family Scorpaenidae 5 Despite this other authorities regard Synanceiidae as a valid family and the Synanceiini as the subfamily Synanceiinae 1 The genus name Synanceia is made up of syn meaning with and angeion which means cavity an allusion to the large cavernous heads of the species considered to be in the genus 6 Species edit nbsp Synanceia verrucosa in a public aquariumSynanceia contains the following species 7 4 Image Scientific Name Common Name DistributionSynanceia alula Eschmeyer amp Rama Rao 1973 Midget stonefish northern Indian Ocean to the Solomon Islands nbsp Synanceia horrida Linnaeus 1766 Estuarine stonefish India to China the Philippines Papua New Guinea and Australia and is also recorded in Vanuatu nbsp Synanceia nana Eschmeyer amp Rama Rao 1973 Red Sea stonefish Red Sea and Persian GulfSynanceia platyrhyncha Bleeker 1874 Indonesia nbsp Synanceia verrucosa Bloch and J G Schneider 1801 Reef stonefish Red Sea and Indo PacificSynanceia quinque Matsunuma Manjaji Matsumoto amp Motomura 2021 IndonesiaHabitat and characteristics editSynanceia are primarily marine and although some species are known to live in rivers most live in coral reefs near the tropical Pacific and Indian oceans The species has potent neurotoxins secreted from glands at the base of their needle like dorsal fin spines which stick up when disturbed or threatened 8 The vernacular name of the species the stonefish derives from its grey and mottled camouflage similar to the color of a stone 9 Swimmers may not notice them and inadvertently step on them triggering a sting When the stonefish is disturbed it may inject an amount of venom proportional to the amount of pressure applied to it citation needed Stonefish have the ability to extend sharp specialized spines lachrymal saber as an additional defense mechanism 10 11 Venom edit The venom of Synanceia consists of a proteinaceous toxin called verrucotoxin VTX which modulates Ca2 channel activity through the b adrenoceptor cAMP PKA pathway In humans stings can cause intense pain respiratory weakness damage to the cardiovascular system convulsions and paralysis sometimes they can lead to death The exact mechanism is not yet fully understood 12 Treatment of envenomation editStonefish stings are extremely painful and potentially lethal 13 The two most recommended treatments are the application of heat to the affected area and antivenom Hot water at a temperature of at least 45 C 113 F 14 applied to the injured area has been found to denature stonefish venom and causes minimal discomfort to the victim Antivenom is used in more extreme cases Vinegar is found on some Australian beaches as it is said to lessen the pain 15 Stonefish stings in Australia edit The stonefish is the most venomous known fish in the world 16 and stings can cause death if not treated 17 Most stonefish stings occur as a result of stepping on the creature which forces venom into the foot while it is less common for the fish to sting when it is picked up 18 Stonefish stings can occur on the beach not just in the water since stonefish can survive out of the water for up to 24 hours They are not easily seen as they look similar to rocks or coral Stonefish antivenom is the second most administered in Australia 19 verification needed Some Indigenous Australians have corroborees which involve re enacting the death of someone who trod on the fish The Aboriginal people of Northern Australia and the Great Barrier Reef have ways of preparing the fish for eating to avoid poisoning 20 After stonefish envenomation the amount of anti venom given depends on the number of puncture wounds from the stonefish spines 21 Number of incidents edit nbsp 1936 article from Melbourne newspaper The Argus about venomous stonefish There were 25 cases of the use of antivenom for stonefish reported to Commonwealth Serum Laboratories for a one year period between July 1989 and June 1990 with most from Queensland and four from the Northern Territory 22 There were 14 calls to the Queensland Poisons Information System in 2008 regarding stonefish poison 23 Fatal incidents edit Name Age Date LocationJoseph Leathom Wassell 53 7 April 1915 Thursday Island Australia 24 20 25 name not given 58 6 August 2010 Nago Okinawa Japan 26 As food editSynanceia is edible to humans if properly prepared The protein based venom quickly breaks down when heated and raw stonefish served as part of sashimi is rendered harmless simply by removing the dorsal fins which are the main source of venom The fish are considered a delicacy in many parts of Asia including south Japan south Fujian Guangdong in China and Hong Kong In the Hokkien speaking area they are considered delicacies and good for health The meat of Synanceia is white dense and sweet and the skin is also edible They are usually cooked with ginger into a clear soup and sometimes served raw as sashimi Pop Culture editIn Blue Lagoon 1980 Emmeline Lestrange played by Brooke Shields unknowingly steps on a stonefish and is almost fatally poisoned 27 The movie was filmed on Espiritu Santo island in Vanuatu which is known for having stonefish which can grow up to 40 centimeters long 28 References edit a b c Eschmeyer William N Fricke Ron amp van der Laan Richard eds Genera in the family Synanceiinae Catalog of Fishes California Academy of Sciences Retrieved 11 April 2022 Smith M M amp Heemstra P C eds 2003 Smiths Sea Fishes ISBN 1 86872 890 0 Puffer Fish Retrieved 26 January 2017 a b Eschmeyer William N Fricke Ron amp van der Laan Richard eds Species in the genus Synanceia Catalog of Fishes California Academy of Sciences Retrieved 14 April 2022 J S Nelson T C Grande M V H Wilson 2016 Fishes of the World 5th ed Wiley pp 468 475 ISBN 978 1 118 34233 6 Christopher Scharpf amp Kenneth J Lazara eds 10 March 2022 Order Perciformes Part 10 Suborder Scorpaenoidei Families Apistidae Tetrarogidae Synanceiidae Aploacrinidae Perryenidae Eschmeyeridae Pataceidae Gnathanacanthidae Congiopodidae and Zanclorhynchidae The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J Lazara Retrieved 8 April 2022 Synanceia Integrated Taxonomic Information System Retrieved 28 December 2008 Notesthe robusta Family Scorpaenidae O Connor J Southern Cross University Archived from the original on 23 August 2004 Retrieved 14 June 2009 Pocock C A Romancing the Reef history heritage and the hyper real James Cook University Ph D Thesis 2003 Accessed 2009 06 14 Smith W Leo Smith Elizabeth Richardson Clara February 2018 Phylogeny and Taxonomy of Flatheads Scorpionfishes Sea Robins and Stonefishes Percomorpha Scorpaeniformes and the Evolution of the Lachrymal Saber Copeia 106 1 94 119 doi 10 1643 CG 17 669 S2CID 91157582 Willingham AJ 13 April 2018 Stonefish are already scary and now scientists have found they have switchblades in their heads CNN Yazawa K Wang JW Hao LY Onoue Y Kameyama M August 2007 Verrucotoxin a stonefish venom modulates calcium channel activity in guinea pig ventricular myocytes Br J Pharmacol 151 8 1198 1203 doi 10 1038 sj bjp 0707340 PMC 2189832 PMID 17572694 Rebecca Sarah The Most Excruciating Pain Known To Man Scienceray 29 Dec 2010 1 Print The Most Excruciating Pain Known to Man Scienceray Archived from the original on 23 May 2013 Retrieved 1 November 2012 White Julian 2013 A Clinician s Guide to Australian Venomous Bites and Stings Incorporating the Updated Antivenom Handbook Melbourne Victoria CSL Ltd ISBN 978 0 646 57998 6 Taylor G 2000 Toxic fish spine injury Lessons from 11 years experience South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society Journal 30 1 ISSN 0813 1988 OCLC 16986801 Archived from the original on 29 June 2008 Retrieved 18 June 2009 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a CS1 maint unfit URL link Stonefish Envenomation adventure medicine Archived 28 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine Marine Envenomation Hornbeak Kirsten B and Paul S Auerbach Emergency Medicine Clinics 35 2 2017 321 337 CSL Antivenom Handbook Stonefish Antivenom www toxinology com Retrieved 11 April 2018 Stone Fish slk320 Archived 6 April 2017 at the Wayback Machine a b The Poisonous Stone Fish Dreaded Denizen of the North The Argus 14 March 1936 Stonefish antivenom product information Archived 29 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine Marine Bites and Stings Dr Mark Little Archived 21 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine annual report 2008 Queensland Poisons Information Centre Design UBC Web Dr Joseph Leathem Wassell Monument Australia monumentaustralia org au Retrieved 11 April 2018 Marine Bites and Stings Dr Mark Little Archived 21 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine Okinawan diver dies from stonefish sting Where was The Blue Lagoon filmed giggster com Retrieved 4 July 2023 Aurimas 10 November 2022 Dangerous Animals In Vanuatu Go Look Explore Retrieved 4 July 2023 Further reading editFishBase entry Synanceia Bloch amp Schneider 1801 194 xxxvii 573 Catalog of Fishes California Academy of Sciences 19 September 2008 Retrieved 29 December 2008 External links editNational Geographic video Deadly Stone Fish Reef Stonefish Synanceia verrucosa Australian museum Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Synanceia amp oldid 1180503408, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
