Spot the fish!

You've probably figured out by now that it's a long weekend and I am bored/have nothing to do/nowhere to go. So, here is a trivia for you. Spot the scorpionfish/stonefish in this picture taken from Weh:

I'm not sure whether this is the Devil Scorpionfish (Scorpaenopsis diabolus) or the Estuarine stonefish (Synanceia horrida). I rather think it's the later, but I am absolutely sure it belongs to the family Scorpaenidae (scorpionfishes), which has "head large and spiny with bony ridge on cheek; dorsal fin usually notched, fin spines venomous with groove and venom sack. Most species live on or near the bottom and feed on crustaceans or fishes. Most are extremely well-camouflaged and remain in or near shelter during the day. Most do well in the aquarium, but some require live foods and others can be trained to take almost anything" (Edward Lieske and Robert Myers, 1994. "Reef Fishes of the World")

If it is S. horrida, it is as venomous as S. verrucosa, which Lieske and Myers have this to say "Spines long and stout but normally folded against skin, can penetrate a tennis shoe. World's most venomous fish, has caused human fatalities. Wounds should be treated immediately with hot water or dry heat (cigarette).....Feeds on fishes and crustaceans. Prey are sucked in during a nearly impercetible split-second movement."

Thus explains the distance between the creature and the camera (rather, the photographer). Sieun atuh! Diabolus! Horrida! (think I've found me new swear words...)

However, I do find the narrative offered by Lieske and Myers (which I haven't seen before, actually, my philosophy being ignorance is bliss) slightly disturbing, i.e.what are the odds I'd be wearing tennis shoes with a lighted cigarette on hand when I step on one of this horrid, diabolus, verruckt creature?!!