Queensland woman impaled by catfish - and apparently it's common
A woman was hospitalised in remote Queensland this week after being impaled by a catfish.
But apparently that is not unusual.
James Cook University Associate Professor Jamie Seymour said there was probably thousands of cases of catfish stings every year.
Catfish have spines on their fins that can inflict severe wounds and also sting if they are feeling threatened.
“If you fish a lot and if you haven’t been stung by one, you are very lucky,” Professor Seymour said.
"It is not unusual for fishermen to be flicked on their hand, leg or foot."
He said a catfish sting was venomous, but not deadly.
The woman who was stung on Monday was in her 30s, and was fishing from a bridge in Normanton in remote north west Queensland.
The catfish fin stabbed her in the thigh and she was taken to Normanton Hospital in a stable condition and later discharged.