Incident with a Ratfish

[shoupart]

Hello everybody,

I re-learned one of the basic rules of diving last month: Don't Touch the Wildlife. Silly me; I had forgotten it. And there is still residual pain to remind me of this basic rule, even though it was nearly 2 months ago that I made this mistake.

Has anybody here seen a Ratfish (aka chimera)? I saw one while diving back in mid-December, in just 20 feet of water. Strange, huh? I'd never seen one in person but knew what it was from Fish ID books.

For reasons inexplicable and regrettable, I decided to attempt to grab and capture the rare creature so I should show my buddies. (Yes, I know now how very stupid this was. You can post something to that effect if you like, but I will already agree with you).

Apparently the ratfish is poisonous and it spined me in the hand, right through the glove. The was fairly intense pain for the next day or two, but then it subsided. However, it still is a little sore, though there's no discoloration or swelling or anything. But I think the tip of the spine may have broken off in my hand.

I'm going to call up DAN in a day or two, but I was curious if anybody has ever had a similar incident and how they treated it.

 

[DandyDon]

Fish spines generally have some toxin and/or infectious bacteria - even freshwater channel cats. Why bother having spines when nature can give you spines that leave a last impression? Predator fish may have more generally, accumulate from others.

As long as it has been, now it's a matter of time, I think - altho excercise may help the body break down the toxin. You'll find more information in the Dive Medicine forum.

I've learned (with some mistakes) to take a pic and show later.

 

[digndeep400]

well here it goes,my friends and i were playing baseball with a fish i had caught that day(??????):shelli:when i was up to bat .i swung the boat paddle and made a home run ,then realized that the fish had left everyone of the spines from his dorsal fins in my hand (one went through ) ....!! that was a year ago ,and my hand still hurts :no

 

[2Tours N Iraq`]

well here it goes,my friends and i were playing baseball with a fish i had caught that day(??????):shelli:when i was up to bat .i swung the boat paddle and made a home run ,then realized that the fish had left everyone of the spines from his dorsal fins in my hand (one went through ) ....!! that was a year ago ,and my hand still hurts :no

I sure hope you are kidding and not being cruel to the wildlife.

 

[shoupart]

Maybe the fish was playing one of the infield positions.

 

[Peter Guy]

I had to read and re-read the OP and then do a little research because of the underlying question -- Has anyone seen a ratfish? Yup -- many times. They are alleged to be one of the most common fish around here in Puget Sound!

 

[shoupart]

i didn't know they were so common up there!

I don't think they are seen as much down here in SoCal. I've done about 300 dives here and have only seen the one.

Strange looking little things, aren't they?

 

[digndeep400]

lol, no i did it but the fish had been dead for an hour

 

[2Tours N Iraq`]

Thanks for clarifying. No harm, no foul.