By Hollie Harris
THE Stevens family reeled in a very surprising catch in the Noosa River on Sunday when they pulled in a Stonefish.
The Brisbane holiday makers said they knew what it was immediately and were shocked to see one in Noosa.
Last November, 13-year-old Alex Bye was stung on the leg after catching one in a cast net in Noosa River and taken to hospital.
Stonefish are highly venomous and sting their victim through dorsal fin spines they erect when threatened or disturbed.
Stings from Stonefish can have very serious medical implications.
The Estuary Stonefish, or Synanceia Horrida, are found throughout shallow coastal waters of the northern half of Australia and are often camouflaged among coral, rocky reef, rubble and aquatic plants.
In Australia, it is recorded from much of the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, to far northern New South Wales.
The Stevens family kept the fish in a bucket of water and Underwater World was called.
Although Stonefish are often touted as the world’s most deadly fish, there has not been a fatality from a Stonefish sting in Australia since the antivenom was created in 1959.
Call triple-zero immediately if this species is thought to have been responsible for a sting.
