A number of other fish are equipped with similar venomous spines, although they are more mobile than stonefish and will prefer to get out of the way. These include members of the scorpionfish family, such as this popular aquarium fish known by many names such as lionfish, butterfly cod and firefish. (The freshwater bullrout is also in this family.)
Catfish, when interfered with, produce three barbed spines which stick out at right angles from the back and side fins. (It is not the whisker-like sense organs around their mouths which cause the damage.)
Stings from all these fish are painful and can lead to collapse and even death in exceptional circumstances. The venom in the spines remains active for days, so discarded spines and even refrigerated specimens should be treated with caution.
