364
FINDLAY E. RUSSELL
or dornorn, devilfish, goblinfish, sea toad, lumpfish, lupo or stingfish,
aymnceja horrida (Fig. 13), is the most venomous piscine known.
There are a number of species of Synanceja, and they vary in color
from brown or green to scarlet with gray markings. The adult of most
apecies is 10 to 15 inches in length, although according to Whitley (1963)
they may reach 2 ft in length and may weigh over 3 lb (Halstead et al.,
1956). They inherit their name from the fact that they so remarkably
resemble stone or coral. They have the habit of lying motionless in
coral or rock, or partially buried in the sand or mud, and so still can
they lie that molluscs and other benthonic marine animals may often
crawl over them (Whitley and Boardman, 1929). They are sluggish
fish, and if handled out of the water and then returned they usually
settle on the substratum rather than swim away. According to Endean
(1963), if approached while they are swimming they will frequently
turn themselves so that their dorsal spines point toward the intruder.
They sometimes feign death by floating upside down and motionless.
The venom apparatus of this fish appears to be a purely defensive
weapon, as it is in Pterois and Scorpaena.
(a) Venom apparatus. The venom apparatus of Synanceja has been
described by a number of workers. The reader is referred to the papers
by Duhig and Jones (1928a), Gail and Rageau (1966), Halstead et al.
(1966), and Endean (1963) for a more thorough review on this subject.
The venom apparatus of Synanceja horrih consists of 13 dorsal epines,
3 anal spines, 2 pelvic spines, the thick warty integumentary sheaths
enveloping these spines, the 2 glandular grooves in each spine, and the
venom glands and their ducts within these grooves. The dorsal spines
are short, stout and straight. The two anterolateral-glandular grooves
extend almost the entire length of the spine. The glands appear as two
large fusiform masses at the middle and toward the tip of the spine
(Fig. 20). The distal end of each gland terminates in a duct-like
structure lying within the grooves. These ducts extend from the glands
to the tip of the spine. The microscopic anatomy of the venom gland
of Bynanceja is quite different from that of Pterois and Swrpaena, and
the reader is again referred to the papers by Halstead et al., and
Endean for a further consideration of these structures. Only the dorsd
spines appear to be functional as a venom apparatus in the stonefish.
Some years ago Dr. H. Flecker of Australia sent us the dorsal spines
of a stonefish, and we attempted to determine the LD,, of saline
extracts from the venom glands. We were unable to obtain a lethal
product from the last four dorsal spines. It is now clear (Wiener, 1969)
that some spines may not possess venom glands, and as Wiener notes,
FINDLAY E. RUSSELL
or dornorn, devilfish, goblinfish, sea toad, lumpfish, lupo or stingfish,
aymnceja horrida (Fig. 13), is the most venomous piscine known.
There are a number of species of Synanceja, and they vary in color
from brown or green to scarlet with gray markings. The adult of most
apecies is 10 to 15 inches in length, although according to Whitley (1963)
they may reach 2 ft in length and may weigh over 3 lb (Halstead et al.,
1956). They inherit their name from the fact that they so remarkably
resemble stone or coral. They have the habit of lying motionless in
coral or rock, or partially buried in the sand or mud, and so still can
they lie that molluscs and other benthonic marine animals may often
crawl over them (Whitley and Boardman, 1929). They are sluggish
fish, and if handled out of the water and then returned they usually
settle on the substratum rather than swim away. According to Endean
(1963), if approached while they are swimming they will frequently
turn themselves so that their dorsal spines point toward the intruder.
They sometimes feign death by floating upside down and motionless.
The venom apparatus of this fish appears to be a purely defensive
weapon, as it is in Pterois and Scorpaena.
(a) Venom apparatus. The venom apparatus of Synanceja has been
described by a number of workers. The reader is referred to the papers
by Duhig and Jones (1928a), Gail and Rageau (1966), Halstead et al.
(1966), and Endean (1963) for a more thorough review on this subject.
The venom apparatus of Synanceja horrih consists of 13 dorsal epines,
3 anal spines, 2 pelvic spines, the thick warty integumentary sheaths
enveloping these spines, the 2 glandular grooves in each spine, and the
venom glands and their ducts within these grooves. The dorsal spines
are short, stout and straight. The two anterolateral-glandular grooves
extend almost the entire length of the spine. The glands appear as two
large fusiform masses at the middle and toward the tip of the spine
(Fig. 20). The distal end of each gland terminates in a duct-like
structure lying within the grooves. These ducts extend from the glands
to the tip of the spine. The microscopic anatomy of the venom gland
of Bynanceja is quite different from that of Pterois and Swrpaena, and
the reader is again referred to the papers by Halstead et al., and
Endean for a further consideration of these structures. Only the dorsd
spines appear to be functional as a venom apparatus in the stonefish.
Some years ago Dr. H. Flecker of Australia sent us the dorsal spines
of a stonefish, and we attempted to determine the LD,, of saline
extracts from the venom glands. We were unable to obtain a lethal
product from the last four dorsal spines. It is now clear (Wiener, 1969)
that some spines may not possess venom glands, and as Wiener notes,