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"  &amp;quot;Snakes on a Plane.&amp;quot; Just the name of the recently released movie is enough to conjure up images of poisonous serpents attacking defenseless passengers. But with a new study by scientists at the American Museum of Natural History, those snakes should take a backseat to a different creature: the venomous fish. Biologists William Smith and Ward C. Wheeler recently released a study in the Journal of Heredity that concluded there are more than 1,200 species of venomous fish swimming in our waters. The new number blows away previous research that estimated a figure of 200, and is much greater than the number of any other poisonous vertebrates on Earth.  Perhaps more interesting than the result of the study was the methods employed. Unlike the voyages of the HMS Beagle, when naturalists simply catalogued every new creature that came along, Smith and Wheeler used a molecular and morphological analysis to produce their estimate. The pair examined the DNA and evolution of known venomous fish, and created an extended family tree, mapping where potential new species might fit into the family. But this new research isn&amp;#039;t simply an attempt to keep up with pop culture. The researchers point to the expanded list of venomous fish as a potential source of life-saving drugs. Currently, six stroke and cancer treatment drugs based on snake venom are nearing review by the Food and Drug Administration. Perhaps the next revolutionary drug might come from fish that was previously considered simply deadly. \u2014Emily Masamitsu The spotted scorpionfish uses venomous spines for defense. Though not fatal to most humans, the venom can be a painful experience for divers.  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/animals/a859/3714791/>