Stunned with poison?! It's one way tropical fish are captured alive for aquariums. Tropical reef fish aren't easy to catch, and they bring a high price if they are captured alive. The poison is cyanide.

Cyanide doesn't kill the fish, but it stuns them. As a result, they slow down and are easier to catch.

For the coral reef, however, fishing with cyanide has a harmful effect. Cyanide can kill the coral and other fish in the area, as well as small invertebrates.