Daniel Heuclin / Stone-fish (Synanceia verrucosa) venom milking.

Pascal Kobeh / Reef stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) close up, highly venomous species. Maldives. Indian Ocean.

Pascal Kobeh / Reef stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) close up, highly venomous species. Maldives. Indian Ocean.

Pascal Kobeh / Reef stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) highly venomous species, Maldives. Indian Ocean.

Alex Mustard / Reef stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) hiding amongst rocks in shallow water. Seraya, Bali, Indonesia. Java Sea.

Georgette Douwma / Stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) well camouflaged overgrown with algae, lying in a hole amongst corals. Algae (including macroalgae, like Padina) and sessile invertebrates often grow on its body surfa...

Georgette Douwma / Stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) well camouflaged overgrown with algae, lying in a hole amongst corals. Algae (including macroalgae, like Padina) and sessile invertebrates often grow on its body surfa...

Georgette Douwma / Stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) well camouflaged overgrown with algae, lying in a hole amongst corals. Algae (including macroalgae, like Padina) and sessile invertebrates often grow on its body surfa...

Georgette Douwma / Reef stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) in a mating congregation, the males jostling for position and swimming over the females. The female stonefish releases its eggs on the bottom of the sea floor, th...

Georgette Douwma / A group of Reef stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) in a mating congregation, the males jostling for position and swimming over the females. The female stonefish releases its eggs on the bottom of the se...

Georgette Douwma / A group of five Reef stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) in a mating congregation, the males jostling for position and swimming over the females. The female stonefish releases its eggs on the bottom of t...

Georgette Douwma / A group of five Reef stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) in a mating congregation, the males jostling for position and swimming over the females. The female stonefish releases its eggs on the bottom of t...

Georgette Douwma / A group of six Reef stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) in a mating congregation, the males jostling for position and swimming over the females. The female stonefish releases its eggs on the bottom of th...

Georgette Douwma / Stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) well camouflaged overgrown with algae, lying on top of corals. Algae (including macroalgae, like Padina) and sessile invertebrates often grow on its body surface and m...

Georgette Douwma / Stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) well camouflaged overgrown with algae, lying in a hole amongst corals. Algae (including macroalgae, like Padina) and sessile invertebrates often grow on its body surfa...

Georgette Douwma / Stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) well camouflaged overgrown with algae, lying in a hole amongst corals. Algae (including macroalgae, like Padina) and sessile invertebrates often grow on its body surfa...

Georgette Douwma / Stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa). This individual, having just shed its cuticle, is vivid pink, red and purple, resembling a coralline algae encrusted rock. It is one of the most venomous fish curren...

Magnus Lundgren / Wild Wonders of China / Stonefish, or Reef stonefish ( Synanceia verrucosa) Green Island, Taiwan.

David Fleetham / Stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) camouflaged, This species is capable of inflicting a painful, heart stopping wound with it's venomous dorsal spines. Yap, Micronesia.