The weever fish is a small fish with poison glands on a dorsal fin and gill cover that can give a painful sting.
Weever fish are long, growing up to 37 cm (14.5 inches), and are mainly brown in color.
Weevers are unusual in not having swim bladders, as do most bony fish, and as a result, sink as soon as they stop actively swimming.
The weever fish has eyes in the top of its head and spines on its back are full of venom.
They are generally buried under the sea bed with their eyes and venomous dorsal fin poking out of the sand. There it waits to snatch prey as it comes past, which consists of shrimp and small fish.
The weever fish are nine extant species of fishes of family Trachinidae. Most species in this family are restricted to the eastern Atlantic (including the Mediterranean). The only exception is the T. cornutus from the southeast Pacific.
Most human stings are inflicted by the lesser weever, which habitually remains buried in sandy areas of shallow water.
There is one registered death by a weever fish – when an English fisherman was stung repeatedly in 1933, off Dungeness.
Most victims are stung in the hours before and after low tide (especially at springs), They peak in August, but this is probably the result of the greater number of bathers.
If you are stung, immerse the wound in water at 40C (104F) to disperse the poison.
Source Daily Mail
Weever fish are long, growing up to 37 cm (14.5 inches), and are mainly brown in color.
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| Echiichthys vipera |
Weevers are unusual in not having swim bladders, as do most bony fish, and as a result, sink as soon as they stop actively swimming.
The weever fish has eyes in the top of its head and spines on its back are full of venom.
They are generally buried under the sea bed with their eyes and venomous dorsal fin poking out of the sand. There it waits to snatch prey as it comes past, which consists of shrimp and small fish.
The weever fish are nine extant species of fishes of family Trachinidae. Most species in this family are restricted to the eastern Atlantic (including the Mediterranean). The only exception is the T. cornutus from the southeast Pacific.
Most human stings are inflicted by the lesser weever, which habitually remains buried in sandy areas of shallow water.
 |
| Lesser weever fish. By Nabokov at English Wikipedia, |
There is one registered death by a weever fish – when an English fisherman was stung repeatedly in 1933, off Dungeness.
Most victims are stung in the hours before and after low tide (especially at springs), They peak in August, but this is probably the result of the greater number of bathers.
If you are stung, immerse the wound in water at 40C (104F) to disperse the poison.
Source Daily Mail
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