A girl remains in hospital in a stable condition after being attacked in the Whitsunday Islands by what was believed to be a shark.
An elderly woman was also bitten while the pair were wading in shallow waters at Catseye Beach on Hamilton Island about 9.30am on Thursday.
It's been suggested, however, that a toadfish and not a shark may have been responsible for the attack
"Independent testing has suggested a fish was responsible in this instance, not a shark," a spokesman for Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told AAP.
Queensland Ambulance countered this claim, confirming the bites were made by a shark.
A girl and a woman have been attacked by a shark in shallow waters off Queensland's Hamilton Island. Source: SBS Greek – Panos Apostolou
The nine-year-old girl was transferred by boat to Proserpine Hospital for treatment for a bite to her foot.
The woman remained on the island and was treated at a local medical centre for a wound on her right leg.
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Neither injuries are life-threatening, with Hamilton Island operators saying the animal was believed to be less than a metre long.
The beach has been closed pending further safety checks.
It comes after Victorian man Daniel Christidis, 33, died in November after being bitten by a shark at Cid Harbour during a trip with friends and colleagues.
That incident followed separate attacks on Tasmanian woman Justine Barwick and Victorian 12-year-old Hannah Papps within 24 hours in September.
The cleared beach after the shark attack. Source: SBS Greek – Panos Apostolou
Mr Christidis' death sparked calls for greater shark control measures in the Whitsundays, with the state government responding with more funding for research into the increase in shark activity in the area, as well as an ongoing "sharkwise" program.
