Fish Index: Deadly

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Goonch Catfish (Bagarius yarrelli) The Man Eating Catfish

The Goonch Catfish or Bagarius yarrelli is a man eating freshwater fish! That's right, there have been a series of reports of this massive Catfish attacking individuals in three different villages on the banks of the Kali River in India. It is thought that this fish got the taste for human flesh after eating half burnt human remains discarded from funeral pyres on the river banks.

As you can imagine the Goonch Catfish is absolutely huge, growing to over 6' long and weighing well over 150lbs! These fish have broad heads with a very wide mouth filled with sharp teeth that are backward shaped to help them swallow their prey, much like many sharks. Their gills openings are wide and the dorsal and pectoral fins have strong spines. They are normally an olive or brown in coloration matching the muddy river. You can check out the Goonch Catfish with your own eyes in the videos below...

These fish are not normally eaten and most people in India will simply kill them or release them back into the waters. They are considered a nuisance by many other anglers though treat them as trophy fish for their amazing size. If you have any additional information about the Goonch Catfish please leave us a comment below.

Box Jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri) The Most Venomous Creature In The World!

The Box Jellyfish or (Chironex fleckeri) is just one of the 28 different species of Box Jellyfish. The Chironex fleckeri is the most infamous of the Box Jellyfish due to its large appearance and deadly sting. The venom from just one of these creatures is strong enough to kill up to 60 humans in as little as 3 minutes from only one of its up to 60 tentacles. This makes it the most venomous jellyfish in the world! This creature's venom is so quick to act that it is also the most venomous creature in the entire world! Quicker than any snake, spider or insect anywhere on planet earth.

The Box Jellyfish's sting is so powerfully painful, human victims have been known to just go into shock and drown or die of heart failure before even reaching shore. This is why there is not as many official deaths caused by these creatures. This saltwater fish can reach lengths of just under 16' with its tentacles that can have a total of five billion stinging cells. Its trandulcent blue appearance makes it very difficult to see while swimming in the ocean and all this makes it one extremely dangerous sea creature. These Jellyfish are normally found off the coast of Australia and Southeastern Asia, especially in the summer months.

The Chironex fleckeri like some other Box Jellyfish have 24 eyes! It is debatable how much they use these cluster of eyes due to the fact that they lack a Central Nervous System. They feed on small fish and the only thing that hunts them is a form of sea turtle that is somehow immune to the venom. This creature is also known as the Marine Stinger or Sea Wasp. To get a glimpse of this creature in action check out the video below...

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Blue Spotted Stingray

The Blue Spotted Stingray or Taeniura lymma is actually part of the shark family. This saltwater fish is found in the West Pacific, East Africa, Red Sea, East Africa, Japan and parts of southern Australia. The Blue Spotted Stingray are found around reefs in relatively shallow water of up to 65'.

They feed on crustaceans that they find around the coral reefs. These Stingrays can grow to about 14" in width and over 3' in length with their tail. The Blue Spotted Stingray is often found in groups and can be buried in the sand which makes them extremely hard to spot.

Approach with caution, the large tail spine of the blue spot stingray is dangerous and can even be deadly. The venomous barbs are so huge that there have been reports of people bleeding to death from the wound. You can check out the Blue Spotted Stingray underwater in the video below...

As you can see, the Stonefish or Synanceia Verrucosa can almost look invisible against coral and rocks. This makes this relatively small saltwater fish very hard to spot. Unfortunately for humans and other creatures, this camouflage can kill. Their poison coming from the 13 spines on its dorsal area which release venom from two sacs. This venom causes severe pain with possible shock, paralysis and tissue death depending on the depth of the penetration. It even can be fatal if not treated within 2-3 hours.

As with deadly spider and snake bites a firm bandage should be applied as soon as possible. Immediately run the wound under hot water at least 43 degree Celsius (109 Fahrenheit). As you can imagine people are most often stung when they step on a Stonefish, so be sure to tread lightly and keep your eyes open if you are in the Pacific or Indian Ocean, particularly in the Great Barrier Reef. Have a look at these different species of Stonefish...