{"id":40482,"date":"2024-07-31T14:04:08","date_gmt":"2024-07-31T12:04:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/b357532f-aa15-4520-a830-283c37c4923c"},"modified":"2024-07-31T15:29:16","modified_gmt":"2024-07-31T13:29:16","slug":"10-deadliest-fish-you-wont-want-to-meet-these-fearsome-species-underwater","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/10-deadliest-fish-you-wont-want-to-meet-these-fearsome-species-underwater\/","title":{"rendered":"10 deadliest fish: you won&#8217;t want to meet these fearsome species underwater"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"rssexcerpt\">Beyond the shark! We bring you a veritable who&#8217;s who of the scariest fish species lurking in the deep (and not-so-deep) waters. <\/p><p class=\"rssauthor\">By <\/p><p class=\"rssbyline\">Published: Wednesday, 31 July 2024 at 12:04 PM<\/p><hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/><?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\" standalone=\"yes\"?>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><p><strong>Beneath the ocean&#8217;s waves are some deadly fish that can strike fear into any human who gets too close. Many a cautionary tale has been told from those who have encountered them, but are these reputations undeserved? <\/strong><\/p><p>We take a look at the supposedly deadliest fish in the ocean&#8230;<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-10-deadliest-fish-in-the-world\">10 deadliest fish in the world<\/h2><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-stonefish\">Stonefish<\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/07\/stonefish.mp4\"\/><\/figure><p>Cleverly camouflaged on rock,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/insects-invertebrates\/facts-about-coral-reefs\">coral reef<\/a> or the seabed and capable of staying\u00a0completely still, stonefish are so dangerous because they are practically invisible.\u00a0That\u2019s dangerous to the prey they ambush and swallow whole, but equally dangerous to any creature who falls foul of their\u00a0defensive dorsal\u00a0spines, which stand on end to deliver a powerful <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/venomous-vs-poisonous\">venom<\/a> if the fish is disturbed.\u00a0<\/p><p>Stonefish stings are said to be intensely painful and lead to swelling of the entire affected limb within minutes, as well as necrosis and sometimes death, if not treated quickly enough, or depending upon the location of the sting.\u00a0Fortunately\u00a0fatalities are rare, with heat immersion (which denatures the venom) and the injection of anti-venom first-line treatments.\u00a0<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/most-venomous-animals\">The most venomous animals in the world: there may be a few deadly creatures you weren&#8217;t expecting&#8230;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-moray-eel\">Moray Eel<\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Moray Eel Attacks Diver..A terrifying moment in an otherwise peaceful recreational activity.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/l-VOehcb1ho?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/><\/div><\/figure><p>These fearsome three metre sea serpent-like predators usually target fish, but have been known to bite humans if divers get too close. They also have poor eyesight, which means they could mistake a human arm for a tasty meal. <\/p><p>Amazingly they have a second jaw which launches into the mouth after the first set has snagged its prey, dragging it into the back of its throat. <\/p><p>The moral with this fish &#8211; as any wild creature &#8211; is to leave them in peace and not try to get too close!<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-puffer-fish\">Puffer fish<\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/07\/puffer-fish.mp4\"\/><\/figure><p>Perhaps one of the world&#8217;s most famous deadly fish, a notorious creature that packs a serious neurotoxic punch when consumed, is the pufferfish. <\/p><p>Unlike the equally deadly blue-ringed octopus &#8211; one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/marine-animals\/deadliest-sea-creatures\">deadliest sea creatures<\/a> &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/fish\/pufferfish-facts\">pufferfish<\/a> are considered a delicacy, appearing on menus in Japan as \u2018fugu\u2019. <\/p><p>Chefs wishing to serve the fish must have a special license, issued only to those who\u2019ve undergone training in how to prepare it in such a way that the toxic parts (including the liver, ovaries, eyes and skins) don&#8217;t contaminate the edible parts.<\/p><p>Before the introduction of the licensing system there were\u00a0dozens of deaths a year from eating fugu in Japan. Fatalities have since fallen to low single digits &#8211; most of the cases of\u00a0food poisoning that occur these days are\u00a0as a result of\u00a0people catching the puffer fish themselves and trying to prepare them at home.\u00a0<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-stingray\">Stingray<\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/07\/Stingray.mp4\"\/><\/figure><p>Your chances of being\u00a0attacked by a stingray\u00a0are vanishingly small\u00a0\u2013 these gentle creatures spend their days buried sand on the seabed and gliding gracefully around the ocean.\u00a0Yet they have been known to injure people who have accidentally disturbed them, usually by standing on them (though the one that killed Australian conservationist Steve Irwin was swimming).<\/p><p>The danger comes in the form of venomous barbs along their tail, which the stingray whips when threatened. It\u2019s first form of defence, it should be noted, however, is swimming away, which is why divers and snorkellers swimming with stingrays are reminded not to crowd them, and to shuffle their feet on the seabed to warn of their approach.\u00a0<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-great-white-shark\">Great white shark<\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"\/><p>The great white shark is perhaps the most famous of all our deadly fish, but does it deserve that fearsome reputation?<\/p><p>Of the\u00a0949\u00a0confirmed unprovoked attacks by sharks on humans ever recorded, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu\/shark-attacks\/factors\/species-implicated\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a study looking into which species were implicated<\/a> shows 351 were by great white sharks, with 59 of these attacks proving fatal.\u00a0<\/p><p>Tiger and bull sharks are the next deadliest\u00a0with these three species\u00a0able to inflict maximum damage because of their large size\u00a0(<a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/marine-animals\/great-white-shark-facts\">great white sharks\u00a0<\/a>can measure up to 6m long and weigh 1,800kg),\u00a0the fact that their teeth have evolved for tearing, not holding prey, and they are commonly found in areas used by humans, such as tropical coastlines.<\/p><p>That said, the\u00a0team at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu\/shark-attacks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">International Shark Attack Files<\/a> at the Florida Museum of Natural History\u00a0stress that these statistics need to be taken with a pinch of salt as easily identifiable species tend to skew\u00a0any list of shark attacks.\u00a0<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lionfish\">Lionfish<\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/07\/lionfish.mp4\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Getty video<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Capable of striking fear into the heart of divers and snorkellers everywhere, this marine predator is as dangerous as it is beautiful. That\u2019s because in amongst their softly fluttering\u00a0fins are more than a dozen spines able to deliver a dose of powerful venom that causes extreme pain and, in rare cases, symptoms including temporary paralysis, shortness of breath and nausea.\u00a0<\/p><p>Lionfish,\u00a0whose range now stretches across the entire Indo-Pacific region,\u00a0are docile creatures not known to attack humans \u2013 injuries occur when people get too close, whether inadvertently or because they are attempting to capture lionfish for the lucrative aquarium trade.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-candiru\">Candiru <\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"715\" height=\"267\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/07\/VCandiru-.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-105915\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ivan Sazima &amp; Jansen Zuanon, CC BY 4.0 https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>This small <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/parasites-guide\">parasitic<\/a> fish from the Amazon River can cause significant damage by entering the human urethra, although such incidents are rare and often thought of as myths &#8211; however just the thought of it makes us think it deserves a place on this list &#8211; along with a place on our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/fish\/weirdest-fish\">weirdest fish<\/a> list&#8230;<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/insects-invertebrates\/deadliest-parasites\">The deadliest parasites in the world: terrifying microscopic creatures that could haunt your dreams<\/a><\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-electric-eel\"><strong>Electric eel<\/strong><\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2119\" height=\"1415\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/07\/electric-eel.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-105916\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Getty images<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Found in South American waters, electric eels can produce strong electric shocks, which can be deadly to humans, especially in water where the current can cause drowning.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-barracuda\"><strong>Barracuda<\/strong><\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2118\" height=\"1416\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/07\/Barracuda.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-105917\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Getty images<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Known for their speed and sharp teeth, barracudas can be aggressive and have been known to attack humans, causing severe injuries &#8211; however it is thought that attacks are because it mistakes humans for a fish caught on spear. <\/p><p>However, all though very rare, fatalities from barracuda attacks can happen, with the Florida Museum reporting one in 1947, when a death off Key West was attributed to a barracuda and another case off the coast of North Carolina in 1957.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-piranhas\">Piranhas <\/h3><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2119\" height=\"1414\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2024\/06\/Can-piranhas-actually-kill-a-human.jpg\" alt=\"Could piranhas actually kill a human\" class=\"wp-image-102452\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Getty images<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>With razor-sharp teeth and the strongest bite force recorded for any fish, their fearsome reputation is not entirely undeserved.<\/p><p>Some species are quite capable of taking a chunk out of a person or snipping off a finger or toe. The vast majority of attacks, though, involve just a single bite, and they seem to be more likely when swimmers disturb the fish\u2019s nest on the riverbed.<\/p><p>Whether piranhas ever actually kill humans is far from clear. They do form shoals, but this seems to be more about seeking safety in numbers than hunting bigger prey in packs.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Beyond the shark! We bring you a veritable who&#8217;s who of the scariest fish species lurking in the deep (and not-so-deep) waters. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":40483,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"6"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2024\/07\/10-deadliest-fish-you-wont-want-to-meet-these-fearsome-species-underwater.jpg",2483,1655,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2024\/07\/10-deadliest-fish-you-wont-want-to-meet-these-fearsome-species-underwater-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2024\/07\/10-deadliest-fish-you-wont-want-to-meet-these-fearsome-species-underwater-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2024\/07\/10-deadliest-fish-you-wont-want-to-meet-these-fearsome-species-underwater-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2024\/07\/10-deadliest-fish-you-wont-want-to-meet-these-fearsome-species-underwater-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2024\/07\/10-deadliest-fish-you-wont-want-to-meet-these-fearsome-species-underwater-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2024\/07\/10-deadliest-fish-you-wont-want-to-meet-these-fearsome-species-underwater-2048x1365.jpg",2048,1365,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Beyond the shark! We bring you a veritable who's who of the scariest fish species lurking in the deep (and not-so-deep) waters.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/40482"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40483"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40482"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40482"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}