Belize Lionfish Project
  • Home
  • History
  • Honor Roll
    • Registration
    • Submit Catch Report
    • Lionfish Culling Map
  • Online Course
    • INTRODUCTION
    • Continued Reading
  • Contact
SECTION IV       VENOMOUS VS POISONOUS       CIGUATERA         ENVENOMATION       FIRST AID        QUIZ 4   

VENOMOUS vs POISONOUS

The terms poison and venom are often used interchangeably, especially in Latin languages like Spanish, but they actually have very different meanings.  The method in which the poison is delivered distinguishes one from the other. Poison is absorbed or ingested, thus a poisonous animal can only deliver toxic chemicals if another animal touches or eats it.  In comparison, venom, is always injected. 
Poisonous animals have toxins in their flesh. Every venomous animal has a mechanism to inject toxins directly into another animal.  Snakes deliver venom via fangs. rays have venomous  spines on their tail, and lionfish inject venom via fin spines. 

The most common poisonous animal in the sea is the pufferfish.  Barracuda or other fish that are infected with the fish poison known as ciguatera can also be poisonous certain times of the year in some locations. Seafood that have not been properly refrigerated that makes you ill is also poisonous.



​Delivery Method




​
​Edible?

​Examples

Poisonous
​
Absorbed or Injested

Touched 
or Eaten
​
​NO

Pufferfish
Barracuda
​Spoiled fish

Venomous

Injected


​Via fang
or spine
​
​YES

Snakes
Lionfish
​Rays

Picture
Picture
Picture

Which is venomous and which is poisonous?




BACK
NEXT
SECTION IV       VENOMOUS VS POISONOUS       CIGUATERA         ENVENOMATION       FIRST AID        QUIZ 4   
SECTION I    SECTION II     SECTION III     SECTION IV     SECTION V     SECTION VI     SECTION VII     SECTION VIII
HOME                              HISTORY                              HONOR ROLL                              LIONFISH CULLING MAP                              CONTACT
Picture
Picture
St George's Caye, PO Box 1234, Belize City, Belize Tel: +(501) 223-3022, Cel: +(501) 673-3022
Copyright © 2021
  • Home
  • History
  • Honor Roll
    • Registration
    • Submit Catch Report
    • Lionfish Culling Map
  • Online Course
    • INTRODUCTION
    • Continued Reading
  • Contact