Scorpionfish, Lionfish, and Stonefish Poisoning

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• When to Seek Medical Care
• For More Information
• Web Links
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors

Overview

Scorpionfish, lionfish, and stonefish are all poisonous fish that live in tropical and temperate oceans, especially the Red Sea and Indian and Pacific Oceans. They have erectile spines on their dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins. Because these fish are not aggressive, contact with them and the poisonings that result are usually accidental.

Contact with ornate lionfish causes mild poisoning. Contact with camouflaged scorpionfish causes moderate-to-severe poisoning. The motionless stonefish, when contacted, causes severe –to –life-threatening poisoning.