Beauty can be intoxicating....
Posted By Sara-Lise Haith on 23 June 2004
I have chosen to set the scene on the island where I currently work; Medhufinolhu – North Malé Atoll (commonly known as Reethi Rah Resort – “beautiful island”)
Imagine your first moment in the tropics you arrive at sunset to the blue lagoon where the dozing sun paints a pink hue all over… the white sand is turning a greyish-pink colour. You leave your luggage in the bungalow, and stroll down to water’s edge, and let the shallow water up to your hips lap up against you and soothe those aching thighs after a long flight… you flop down into the warm water, and soak up the remainders of the afternoon sun, and experience your first rays since the winter. You lie back, floating, mesmerised… you decide to go and get a beer from the welcoming fridge in your bungalow. You stand up, without looking down, and see that you have floated towards some small unsuspecting coral blocks. You step to the side to avoid stepping on the rock, and experience an excruciating pain…. You lift your foot to find punctured skin, swelling, your limbs are on fire. You look beneath you and see nothing, but a few small coral mounds… that beer is going to need to change to a scotch to be able to bear the pain.
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You have most likely stepped on a Scorpion fish. Scorpion fish (Scorpaenidae) are not only found in the depths of the reef system. They hang out in shallow lagoons, and particularly, you can find juveniles around the protected area of docks or small coral mounds. The common scorpion fish found in the Maldives are the Devil Scorpionfish (Scorpaenopsis diabolus) and the Leafy Scorpionfish (Taenianotus triacanthus). However, the Scorpionfish family is enormous. It includes Lionfishes and the dreaded stonefish. You will hear the name stonefish and scorpionfish used simultaneously but actually they are different animals. The stonefish (Sycanceia verrucosa), (see picture) has a different shape and it’s mouth is upturned. Lionfish and scorpionfish are often termed interchangeably, so to be pedantic fish nerd, you could refer to the Latin names so you don’t make a mistake. What will be unmistakeable is the unbelievable hot shooting pain that you will feel. You will start to feel anxiety, stiffness, aching, and perhaps paralysis. Jaw paralysis and paralysis of the eyelids are quite common.
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The camouflage of toxic sea creatures is incredible. Being that most of them are ambush predators, their camouflage is the essence of their disguise. Stonefish and Scorpionfish are often so well blended in with the environment that they are hard to distinguish. I found that Scorpionfish were more blatant ly exposed than Stonefish, they were often perched in full view on top of coral mounds, while blending in with their surroundings, to an observant diver they were easy to find. Why so “conspicuous”? Because they can afford to be! If you ever watch fish behaviour you will see that other marine life stay clear and are very wary of other poisonous fish…
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