An Australian boy left onlookers shocked after casually grabbing and holding the world’s most poisonous fish in his bare hands.
Miller Wilson, 20, found a highly toxic stonefish camouflaged in a muddy river on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast this week.
The animal enthusiast shared on social media the moment he reached into the shallow water to grab the fish from under a rock ledge.
“The tide is coming in and I just spotted the biggest stonefish, the most poisonous fish in the world, that I have ever seen,” he tells the camera.
After pulling the stonefish out of the river, it revealed its distinctive spines that contain enough toxin to cause cardiac arrest.
“Look at that… the most poisonous fish in the world… it’s pretty big too, I found it under this rock ledge here,” he said.
“And they’re some mean-looking fish. Look, they’re pretty crazy.”
Onlookers were amazed at the calmness with which Mr Miller handled the poisonous fish.
“The most poisonous fish in the world, but he catches it without hesitation,” wrote one person.
“The most poisonous fish in the world, and then proceeds to catch it. It’s built differently,” commented another.
A third shared: ‘Wow that’s a solid stonefish (as you casually pick it up) bloody legend!’
“Australians hit differently,” said a fourth.
Others shared their own experiences with stonefish in the comments.
“I stood on one while dragging a bait net when I was about 14 on the Sunshine Coast,” one person wrote.
A second wrote: ‘My dad stepped in one of these in the Northern Territory in 1990. He barely survived.’
“I can be in an area of water where I know they won’t be and I’ll still laugh at the thought of them being in the water,” said a third.
Mr Miller (pictured with the stonefish) left onlookers in awe after handling the fish with ease.
Despite Miller’s impressive discovery, experts have urged people not to interact with stonefish because of their potentially deadly venom.
Professor Calum Brown, from Macquarie University’s School of Natural Sciences, said the images sent the wrong message to viewers.
“I think the kid in the video knows what he’s doing. He’s handling the fish really well and staying away from the spines,” Callum said. Yahoo News.
“But it’s just not safe to handle these fish.”
The estuarine stonefish contains a toxic chemical called verrucotoxin. The poison is found in the 13 thick spines on the fish’s dorsal fin.
The toxin can cause severe pain and a stonefish sting can cause a variety of symptoms including difficulty breathing, abdominal pain, bleeding and seizures.
Estuarine stonefish (pictured), which have excellent camouflage abilities, are dangerous to humans because they contain a toxic chemical known as verrucotoxin that can cause intense pain.
Stonefish are also known for their camouflage abilities, which allow them to ambush small fish or crustaceans that get close enough to attack them.
Poisonous fish often look like pieces of coral or embedded rocks, which helps them go unnoticed in waterways.
The creatures are found in warmer waters along Australia’s northern coast, including the Great Barrier Reef, northern New South Wales and areas just above Perth.
