Milking the WORLD'S MOST VENOMOUS FISH! - Smarter Every Day 117 | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

The stonefish is the world's most venomous fish, and this video explores the process of milking their venom and its uses in research and anti-venom production.

Key Insights

• 👨‍🎨 The stonefish is the world's most venomous fish, with venom sacs along its spines containing venom that causes extreme pain.
• 👨‍🔬 The venom is used for research and the production of anti-venom for stonefish stings, which are common in Australia.
• 💦 Stonefish can stay out of water for a couple of hours and are inter-tidal animals, often getting caught in pools when the water drains out.
• 🦶 The process of milking stonefish venom involves using a rubber covering to mimic the pressure of a foot and squeezing the venom sacs along the spines.
• 🎨 Stonefish venom is designed for causing pain and is believed to punch holes in cell membranes.
• 😃 Stonefish have eyes that are difficult to spot, appearing clear and small.
• 💦 The venom milking process does not stress the stonefish as they can hold water in their gills and are used to being temporarily out of water.

Transcript

Hey it's me Destin, welcome back to Smarter Every Day. Sometimes I like to walk around in my yard barefooted, which is awesome until I hit a little sticky weed, which hurts. I'm about to ruin the beach for you. There's an animal called the stonefish that is the meanest thing that I have ever seen. We're gonna milk it, even though it doesn't have ni... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How venomous is the stonefish?

The stonefish is the most venomous fish in the world, with venom sacs along its spines containing venom that causes extreme pain.

Q: Why do researchers milk stonefish venom?

Researchers milk stonefish venom to study its effects and to produce anti-venom for stonefish stings, which are frequent in Australia.

Q: How does the stonefish inject venom into its victims?

The stonefish's spines have venom sacs located about a third of the way down, so when the spine enters a victim's foot, the tissue compresses the venom sac, shooting venom up the spine and into the victim.

Q: How long does it take for a stonefish to replenish its venom supply?

The time it takes for a stonefish to replenish its venom supply depends on food availability, but typically it takes 2-3 weeks.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The video showcases the stonefish, the most venomous fish in the world, and the process of milking its venom.

• The venom is collected to further research its effects and to produce anti-venom for stonefish stings, which are common along the east coast of Australia.

• Stonefish have venom sacs along their spines and can shoot venom into a victim's foot, causing extreme pain.