Venomous Fish Question

[ucdcrew]

I recently bought a 1 spot foxface. He is reported to have venomous spines, although I hope not to test this fact. Do the other fish know he's venomous if they have not been stung? If so, how? Behavior, coloration, chemical?

 

[ali1]

they know not to mess with rabbitfish. u ever seen a foxface going at it with another fish?

 

[Rutrag]

They would find out if they got stung. I don't think you have much to worry about unless you have larger predatory fish with him. They only use the spines defensively.

 

[gone fishin]

I don't know how they know but mine will occasionally flare his fin and they scatter quick.

 

[Deinonych]

I don't know how they know but mine will occasionally flare his fin and they scatter quick.

+1

No one bothers my foxface, although my female clownfish will nip at his caudal fin if he wanders too close to her territory.

 

[Genera]

I had an 8in Yellowblotch Rabbitfish that kept getting nipped at by a Starry Blenny. Starry Blenny had to go. Rabbitfish/Foxfaces are fairly peaceful, I've never seen them attacking other fish, except others of the same genus in some cases, but they can be mixed.

 

[ucdcrew]

He is now fighting his reflection, and then occasionally scares himself with his reflection, then camos up and hides.

 

[Mark...]

How toxic is a fox face wound on a human?

 

[Waters40]

How toxic is a fox face wound on a human?

It is kind of like a bee sting in that regards....normally it just causes a ton of pain. If you are allergic to the venom, then, like a bee sting, it can cause much more severe problems.

 

[slief]

How toxic is a fox face wound on a human?

When I got my first Foxface, I had no idea they were venomous. I did my normal routine and carefully picked him up from his acclimation box by hand to place him in the tank. Apparently he didn't like that and flared up and got me in the palm. At first I didn't think anything of it. It little poke from the spines wasn't a thing to worry about. A few minutes later, my hand got kind of wam and a little achy. I immediately googled it and realized they were slightly venomous. While I wasn't terribly worried, I ran to the bathroom and pee'd on my hand.. Just kidding. I ran to the bathroom and put my hand under scalding hot water for a minute and went about my business.

The pain was minimal. A little bit of stinging around the puncture and some achiness in my hand but that was it. It lasted a couple hours and was fine there after. In my case, I would say a bee sting is much worse than these guys but I only got stuck with one spine and I have a very high tolerance for pain.