A REVIEW OF STONEFISH VENOMS AND TOXINS

Venoms from stonefish (genus Synanceja) have marked effects on the car diovascular and neuromuscular systems and on vascular permeability; th e venoms also exhibit haemolytic and hyaluronidase activity. Recently, a toxic protein, stonustoxin (SNTX), was purified from the venom of S . horrida: the primary lethal action of SNTX has been attributed to it s potent endothelium-dependent vasorelaxant activity causing a rapid, marked and irreversible hypotension; the other actions of SNTX resembl e those of the stonefish crude venoms.