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Glite Dictionary
stonefish

stonefish

1 9.3
A sea fish with poison that looks like a rock and hides on the sea floor
  • noun
  • /ˈstoʊnˌfɪʃ/
  • Australian
translation icon : pez piedra
  • The stonefish is known as one of the most venomous fish in the world, often lying still on the ocean floor to catch its prey.

You ever heard of a stonefish?

Examples

  • If you step on a stonefish, you die in about 15 minutes.

    The Endless Summer (1966)

  • You keep one eye on Mike, and the other eye on the bottom... for creatures like stonefish that exist there.

    The Endless Summer (1966)

  • - Stonefish.

    The Assassin's Code (2018)

  • Swimming in the coral reef, I had to be careful not to step on a stonefish, as they can deliver a painful venomous sting.

  • When diving in the Indo-Pacific, always watch your step to avoid a hidden stonefish camouflaged among the rocks.

Synonyms

Synanceja verrucosa
vsstonefish
  • Specialized
9.9

A tropical fish called a stonefish that looks like a rock and stings with sharp poisonous spines

is the general name for similar venomous tropical reef fishes
Synanceja
vsstonefish
  • Specialized
9.9

A sea fish with a very dangerous sting that looks like a rock

is a term for a single venomous tropical marine fish within that group

How Venomous

stonefish
  • Australian
1 9.3
lionfish
11 7.5
cod
36 1.0

Surface Forms

stonefish singular
stonefishes plural

Morphology

stonefish = stone + fish (transparent) = stone + fish

A straightforward compound: a fish that resembles or is associated with stone, matching the literal meaning.

Etymology

Stonefish is a simple combination of stone and fish, meaning a fish that looks like a 'stone' on the sea floor. That's why a stonefish hides among rocks and can give a dangerous sting if you touch it.