Foxface venom

[vega77]

Does anyone know if the venom of Foxface is an issue for humans ?

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[Kahuna Tuna]

Kept several species and never been stuck but know those who have and its like a beesting. Nothing serious unless one is allergic.

 

[Yogre]

Ask RC member Garage1217. He got hit by a rabbitfish of some sort.

He said it hurt like hell, but as far as I know he had no complications.

As Kahuna Tuna said, allergies would be a different story.

 

[fishgutz]

I was hit once. Like a real bad bee sting. Went away pretty fast though. Everyone is going to react differently.

 

[Wolverine]

As mentioned, it'll hurt, but is unlikely to cause any problems in a healthy adult. There's always the chance that you could develop an allergy after being stung, but that's not overly likely to happen.

 

[philip mendes]

Has anyone ever had one of their other fish been stuck by the Foxface? Will it kill them? Have a yellow Tang who seems to like "brushing up" against the Foxface, but it doesn't seem to affect him any, and he keeps going back for more? Should I be worried?

 

[J2T]

When I had a foxface lo in my tank, my coral beauty would do the same thing...he would rub against him. Unless the foxface extends the spikes I don't think it is an issue.

 

[Fretfreak13]

Is the foxface a new addition, and the yellow tang an old inhabitant? The "brushing" from a tang is generally a sign of aggression.

 

[Wolverine]

Usually if it's going to do major damage or death, it will do it pretty quickly. The exception is if the puncture sites get infected.

 

[carriej]

I'm immune compromised so I always watch this stuff. Technically, anything that can cause any type of immune system response can be dangerous for anyone - not just me.

Just my .02 cents.

 

[chealy]

I have yet to be hit by mine but like others have said I've heard it's just like a bad bee sting.

 

[MrTuskfish]

Being overly-scared is more dangerous than the actual sting. Your hand's in the tank. The fish moves; you panic and take out half your tank and the light fixture.

 

[Breadman03]

Being overly-scared is more dangerous than the actual sting. Your hand's in the tank. The fish moves; you panic and take out half your tank and the light fixture.

...and introduce a bit of stray voltage that nukes a sea apple..

 

[MrTuskfish]

...and introduce a bit of stray voltage that nukes a sea apple..

.....always has to be a pessimist! I know someone who did this with a lionfish an a LED pendant light ended up in the tank. The lion was 5' away from him when he panicked.

About 10 years ago; I got nailed by a big Volitan Lion that I didn't see, just put a hand in the wrong place. I had built-in canopy lighting and slammed my elbow into the canopy. I'm usually not wussy about this stuff; but was told the previous day that I needed a heart test ; I guess I just got a little scared (it did hurt like hell), and went to the ER. I'm sure the story of the fish sting and the badly bruised elbow gave everyone in the ER a good laugh. I knew the nurse and could hear her talking to poison control. Since then, I know where the lions are, they are too tame, and I just give them a shove on the tail and they get out of my way.

 

[ajsvmax]

On a totally reciprocal note: my foxface has brushed up against my hammer coral several times with no affect. There was a good clump of algae next to the hammer which is completely gone as a result of the foxface grazing on the green stuff

 

[ajsvmax]

BTW: I have been stung by a Lion fish. Not pleasant by any stretch of the imagination. I called poison control and they had no idea what to tell me. They did send me a long questionnaire about my experience. My foot was very swollen. (I know the foot is not the typical place to be stung.) he had jumped out of my tank and I ran to put him back in when I tripped and fell. Needless to say it hurt like a mother.

 

[Wolverine]

BTW: I have been stung by a Lion fish. Not pleasant by any stretch of the imagination. I called poison control and they had no idea what to tell me. They did send me a long questionnaire about my experience. My foot was very swollen. (I know the foot is not the typical place to be stung.) he had jumped out of my tank and I ran to put him back in when I tripped and fell. Needless to say it hurt like a mother.

Sorry about your experience, but the image I have in my head of this happening has me seriously loling.

Yeah, poison control and most emergency rooms have no idea how to deal with these.

 

[aquaph8]

You gotta be the only one to be stung in the foot by a lion fish from your aquarium, what's the odds?

 

[ZiggyBuster]

Ive never been stuck but a firned of mine was and said it hurt bad, and he didnt feel well the following day.

 

[namxas]

The severity of the sting is dependent upon species, how many spines were involved, how deeply the spines penetrated the wound, and the dwell time of the exposure (how long the spine was embedded in the wound).

First aid for a lionfish sting is immersion of the affected area in hot water (114°F) for 20 up to 90 minutes, or until the pain subsides, in order to inactivate the thermolabile components of the venom. The reason for applying heat to the wound is because lionfish venom is composed of heat-labile proteins, and the heat actually denatures the venom. Please, don't use scalding-hot water, as the resulting burn will likely do more damage than the venom. To ensure the proper temperature have a cooking thermometer on hand.

Don't worry, unless you happen to be allergic to the venom, or you get stung by a stonefish, your life really isn't in danger from the effects of the venom. That being said, you need to guard against secondary infection of the wound as well as make certain that there are no pieces of the spine left in the wound, which can cause infection. A tetanus booster is recommended if it is past due. To that end, you may want to seek professional medical assistance, just in case.

Foxface first aid is the same, altho foxface venom isn't as potent a lionfish venom.