Vicious toadfish

[cappyjon431]

This hardly rates as an "incident," but I am still laughing as I type, so I thought I would share. Today one of my instructors came back from a dive and his finger was gushing blood. I got it cleaned up and bandaged (it was not too deep, but there was a lot of blood) and I asked him how it happened. This is how he relayed it to me (in somewhat broken English):

He was leading his student on a tour after completing skills when he spotted a toadfish hiding under a rock. Since his student was slightly behind him he decided to point to the toadfish and looked back to signal the student to come get a peek. Before he could turn back around to where he was pointing, the toadfish bit onto his finger and refused to let go. Being very surprised he yanked the toadfish out of the hole via his finger and proceeded to shake it until the toadfish let go. Apparently the student found it quite amusing (as did I).

Neither the instructor nor the toadfish were seriously injured, but I guess the moral of the story is that it is not polite to point, especially if you are not going to watch where you are pointing.

 

[Haiko]

Wow... I just looked up a picture of a toadfish (just wanted to know what is looks like) and I can imagine it would scare the **** out of me if it bit me. But I also can see why looking at an Instructor trying to get it off his finger would be amusing

 

[Diver0001]

LOL.... Everyone goes through a touchy-feely phase until stuff like this happens. he he

I hope it doesn't get infected. Personally I would have freaked out. Most stuff that's that ugly is poisonous.

I got "nailed" by a black goby once. I had a client with me and there were a bunch of shrimps in the opening of the hole he called home. I was showing my client that if you were patient that the shrimps would come and sit on your hand. I was holding my hand in the opening of the hole and I saw the goby come in and out about 10 times and then WHAP! He bit me right on the finger.

It was hysterical, though, because black goby's have tiny little teeth that couldn't hurt a fly.

R..

 

[FairyBasset]

What hurt more.... his finger or his bruised ego?!!!
I wonder.....

 

[Missdirected]

Neither the instructor nor the toadfish were seriously injured, but I guess the moral of the story is that it is not polite to point, especially if you are not going to watch where you are pointing.

<snicker> I could see this happening. I've often stayed pointing at something, especially something well camouflaged, until I see in the person's face they've made out what I am pointing at.

I'll keep in mind to be a bit more polite next time.

 

[DandyDon]

Watch our for damsels protecting eggs. Good thing they are so small. I had something tiny bight me in Coz last time, protecting eggs.

 

[cappyjon431]

What hurt more.... his finger or his bruised ego?!!!
I wonder.....

with this particular instructor, it was definitely his ego.

 

[FairyBasset]

His ego... really?! ... you surprise me!! Hahaha!
Did he have a good rescue diver to hand, to bandage the cut well?

 

[DeputyDan]

The toadfish eats meat.

A finger is meat.... Go figure....

 

[DandyDon]

The toadfish eats meat.

A finger is meat.... Go figure....

I really thot they swallowed fish whole. Didn't know they could bight like a porcupine. I handled many in a past aquarium business. I wonder if they fish was IDed correctly?