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Young World
Absolutely venomous
Think of poison and the first image that flashes to mind is a snake. But it turns out that there are more poisonous fish than snakes. A recent study has recorded 1,200 venomous fish — six times more than the previous tally. Another startling fact is that such fish outnumber all other venomous vertebrates. According to William Leo Smith, the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, fish bites poison cause a range of symptoms from blisters to death in more than 50,000 people every year. His list of fish to watch out for includes lionfish, catfish, scorpionfish, weeverfish, toadfish, surgeonfish, scats and stonefish. While venomous fish are found in almost all habitats, the majority are found in the tropics. But the good news is that the venom can be used to develop new drugs for pain relief, stroke and cancer. Venom from fish remains a relatively untapped source in drug development though other creatures like snakes and scorpions have been used.
COMPLIED BY R. KRITHIKA
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