Stingarees Can Give Bad Wound.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19237, 26 November 1930, Page 8

Stingarees Can Give Bad Wound.

Nature Notes

By

James Drummond. F.L.S.. F.Z.S.

the STINGAREE, sting-ray, or skate is one of many creatures that are misjudged and misnamed. It is dreaded because there is a fixed belief that it stings with its tail and that the sting is very painful and troublesome on account of poison injected into the wound, and may be fatal.

The sting-rays are a large group of fishes. All the members of it have on their tails one or more stiff, barbed spines. These are modified scales. There is no evidence that they eject any definite poison; but they can be thrust forth with great force, and they may make ragged wounds, which always are dangerous, often causing gangrene. Mucous on the spines may act as a poison on lacerated tissues. The stingaree lashes with its whip-like tafl, making terrible wounds in any flesh it strikes. Other fishes defend themselves by lashing their enemies with their tails. The surgeon-fish goes one better than the stingaree. Its tail is equipped with a spine, an efficient sheath-knife. The sharp edge is directed forward. When not in use, the spine slips forward into its sheath. Some fishes are actually poisonous, secreting poison through spines. The toad-fishes have the most perfect system of poison organs known among fishes. They store their poison in a small bag at the base of a spine. On the spine entering flesh, the bag is pressed, and out spurts the poison. The illustration represents a stingaree caught in the Bay of Plenty. The spine is shown near the base of the tail.