Adults can run quickly and fight ferociously. Their name derives from their painful sting. It is so severe that some people claim it could kill a cow. Sometimes called coral catfish, these fish have highly venomous spines. Wounds from these spines may even be fatal in rare cases.
Bright colors serve as a warning to potential predators.
Natives have used the toxin secreted by some poison dart frogs to poison arrow tips. A monkey or bird shot with an arrow dipped in this poison is quickly paralyzed.