Untouchable Trivia Quiz

Answer: Stingray

Stingrays do not usually attack people, and stings are usually the result of a stingray being stepped on in shallow water. The sting is usually very painful, with localised swelling and muscle cramps caused by the venom. The barb often breaks off and stays in the wound, which can lead to infection. Fatal stings can occur if the stingray happens to pierce a vital organ.

In the case of Steve Irwin, known as The Crocodile Hunter, his heart was pierced when he approached a stingray from the rear, causing the frightened fish to defend itself by stinging him several hundred times within the space of a few seconds.

Answer: Spotfin lionfish

Most species of the genus are called lionfish, although the incorrect options are also members of Pterois. Other names include zebrafish, dragonfish and scorpionfish. All members of the genus Pterois give you plenty of notice to steer clear - they are brightly colored, with dramatic fin displays.

The spotfin lionfish, also called the broadbarred firefish, has a nasty venom in its fin spikes, which it uses primarily for defence. Growing up to about 20 cm in length, the spotfin lionfish is commonly found in lagoons and coral reefs in the tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Answer: Foxface rabbitfish

All rabbitfishes, including those more commonly called spinefoots, have pelvic fins composed of two spines connected by three soft rays. The spines, and also those on their dorsal and anal fins, have venom glands that can deliver a nasty sting. The name spinefoot comes from this feature; the name rabbitfish refers to their large eyes and small mouth that is (somewhat fancifully) thought to resemble that of a rabbit.

They are herbivorous, and the brightly-colored ones, such as the foxface (whose species name comes from the Latin word for fox), are popular in home aquariums for their algae-controlling behavior.

But don't touch them as you are cleaning your aquarium, or you may regret it!

Answer: Spotted ratfish

Hope you spotted the hints to help you decide which of these members of the genus Hydrolagus was the guilty party. Their long tails, up to half their length (which can be over a metre), led to the ratfish name; the white spots on their bronze backs are an obvious feature.

They have a venomous spine on the front of their dorsal fin, which should not be touched unless you want a painful sting (despite the fact that their Wikipedia entry says they are harmless). They are bottom-dwellers, but can be found close to shore in the northern part of their range (in the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean), hence their interactions with harbor seals.

Answer: Spotted weeverfish

Although they are sometimes erroneously called weaverfish, the weeverfish get their name from an Old French word for a serpent or dragon, 'wivre'. Unlike most fish, they do not have swim bladders, which means they sink like a stone whenever they stop actively swimming.

They spend much of their time buried in the sand, ready to grab small fish or crustaceans that swim too close. Stepping on a buried weeverfish is the most common reason for human injury. They are found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, and prefer shallow waters in this subtropical region.

They are not commercially fished, but are edible when caught.

Answer: Great Barrier Reef (Australia)

Stonefish are primarily found in coastal regions of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, although there is some evidence that they may have migrated into the Red Sea as well. They are not, however, found in the eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean or in the Caribbean, the location of the reefs in the incorrect options. Stonefish have one of the most toxic venoms of any fish, and are a hazard about which divers on the Great Barrier Reef and those who walk on the beaches in the area are warned in no uncertain terms.

They camouflage themselves very efficiently, and look like a rock until they are stepped on, when the difference becomes painfully clear. The spines are so strong that they can penetrate through shoes, so even the precaution of footwear is no guarantee of safety.

Despite this, they are eaten as food in some Asian countries, usually cooked (which denatures the toxic proteins), but sometimes raw as sushi.

Answer: True

Also known as a scorpion fish, the literal translation of its genus name, this is not in the same family as the 'true' scorpionfish, which includes the lionfish and the stonefish. Scorpaenichthys marmoratus is the only species known in this genus - a lonely existence, with few close relatives! They come in red, green and brown as the primary colors in their mottled coloration pattterns. Red ones are 90% male, green ones are 90% female. Cabezon are found along the Pacific coast of North America, where they are a popular game fish. Don't eat the roe, however, as it is toxic. Cabezon eggs may be green or purple, and the male guards them aggressively until they hatch.

Answer: Whitemargin stargazer

The genus name comes from the Greek 'ouranos', meaning sky, and 'skopein', meaning watch. All stargazers, which includes over 50 species in eight different genera, have eyes on the top of their head, and an upturned mouth - they remind me a bit of a bulldog.

They hide under the sand, then leap up to grab their prey as it swims past. Not only are all stargazers venomous, members of the genus Uranoscopus can also give you an electric shock! This is definitely one fish not to touch. Nevertheless, its flesh is quite edible.

In Australia it is often sold as monkfish, despite not being even remotely related to either of the two northern hemisphere genera given the same name - Squatina and Lophius.

Answer: Eeltail catfish

All catfishes are in the order Siluriformes, and almost all have venomous spines and barbels around the mouth that resemble a cat's whiskers. The eeltail catfish has venomous spines on its dorsal and pectoral fins, capable of providing a fatal dose to humans who are unwary enough to allow it.

They are found in the eastern Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean and western parts of the Pacific Ocean, where they live in coral reefs and estuaries. The barbels around their mouths are used to stir up the sand and expose their prey, mostly crustaceans, molluscs and small fish.

Answer: Toads

The toadfishes come in a large variety of shapes and sizes, including this splendid toadfish, which is endemic to the Caribbean island of Cozumel, off the coast of Mexico. Unlike most toadfishes, they are brightly colored - blue body, yellow fins, and stripes on their heads. They hide under coral reef ledges, springing out to capture prey as it swims overhead. Interestingly, they can make a sound using their swim bladders, increasing their resemblance to toads. Males use this ability to attract females to the nests they have built.

If you are a fan of the Australian television show 'Neighbours', you would know that Toadfish Rebecchi, played by Ryan Moloney, was first seen in 1995 in a scene in which he was asking his brother Stonefish (Anthony Engelman) to take him along on a trip to the beach. The brothers were said to have gotten their nicknames from their resemblance to the fish. I don't see it, myself.