Lesser Weever
Encyclopedia
The lesser weever, Echiichthys vipera, is a hazardous weever-fish of the family Trachinidae, in the order
Perciformes
, and the class
Actinopterygii
. It is generally found on the sandy seabeds of the open sea, near the shore. Lesser weevers are sometimes disturbed by swimmers, and may sting them badly. Weevers also sting fishermen when they clean their fishing net
s.
The lesser weever grows up to 18 cm long but generally less than 15 cm) , with an elongated body. Its color can be described as greyish-brown on the back and silvery-white on the sides. It has no spines in front of the eyes.
around the British Isles to Morocco
and Madeira
, and in the Mediterranean. They are typically found resting on the bottom, partially buried with eyes and tip of first dorsal fin exposed.
and benthic, living on sandy, muddy bottoms, ranging from a few meters deep to 150 m (in winter). Resting on the bottom, its position can be described as with eyes buried and the tip of the first dorsal fin
exposed. Because of its poison
and its occurrence near beaches, it is considered to be one of Europe's most dangerous weever species
. There are venom
glands located on its first dorsal fin, which is completely black, and on the gill cover. This species has the most potent toxin of all the weevers.
of a weever is acute and intense. The pain frequently is radiated to the area around the limb.http://w3.uniroma1.it/cav/inglese/enmare1.htm#tracina The seriousness of the pain reaches its peak thirty minutes after the sting, and then slowly decreases. However, some pain (or other sensation, such as a tingle) may continue to affect the area for up to twenty-four hours. Very rarely, pain can be propagated to the tributary lymph nodes, i.e. those in the groin (when the sting is on the sole of the foot), or those in the armpit (if the sting is on the hands).
The best first aid
is to wash the wound, and then to immerse it in very hot water for at least an hour, in order to ease the pain and help destroy the protein-based venom. Water temperature for immersion should be 40 degrees Celsius or as hot as the patient can tolerate. Also, reassure the patient of the relative harmlessness of the sting.
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
Perciformes
Perciformes
The Perciformes, also called the Percomorphi or Acanthopteri, is one of the largest orders of vertebrates, containing about 40% of all bony fish. Perciformes means perch-like. They belong to the class of ray-finned fish and comprise over 7,000 species found in almost all aquatic environments...
, and the class
Class (biology)
In biological classification, class is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, order, family, genus, and species, with class fitting between phylum and order...
Actinopterygii
Actinopterygii
The Actinopterygii or ray-finned fishes constitute a class or sub-class of the bony fishes.The ray-finned fishes are so called because they possess lepidotrichia or "fin rays", their fins being webs of skin supported by bony or horny spines , as opposed to the fleshy, lobed fins that characterize...
. It is generally found on the sandy seabeds of the open sea, near the shore. Lesser weevers are sometimes disturbed by swimmers, and may sting them badly. Weevers also sting fishermen when they clean their fishing net
Fishing net
A fishing net or fishnet is a net that is used for fishing. Fishing nets are meshes usually formed by knotting a relatively thin thread. Modern nets are usually made of artificial polyamides like nylon, although nets of organic polyamides such as wool or silk thread were common until recently and...
s.
The lesser weever grows up to 18 cm long but generally less than 15 cm) , with an elongated body. Its color can be described as greyish-brown on the back and silvery-white on the sides. It has no spines in front of the eyes.
Habitat
Lesser weever fish occur in the eastern Atlantic from the North SeaNorth Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
around the British Isles to Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
, and in the Mediterranean. They are typically found resting on the bottom, partially buried with eyes and tip of first dorsal fin exposed.
Biology
The lesser weever is littoralLittoral
The littoral zone is that part of a sea, lake or river that is close to the shore. In coastal environments the littoral zone extends from the high water mark, which is rarely inundated, to shoreline areas that are permanently submerged. It always includes this intertidal zone and is often used to...
and benthic, living on sandy, muddy bottoms, ranging from a few meters deep to 150 m (in winter). Resting on the bottom, its position can be described as with eyes buried and the tip of the first dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
exposed. Because of its poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
and its occurrence near beaches, it is considered to be one of Europe's most dangerous weever species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
. There are venom
Venom
Venom is the general term referring to any variety of toxins used by certain types of animals that inject it into their victims by the means of a bite or a sting...
glands located on its first dorsal fin, which is completely black, and on the gill cover. This species has the most potent toxin of all the weevers.
Effect on humans
The stingStinger
-Biology:* Stinger, an organ or body part found in various animals that usually delivers some kind of venom.* Stinger , a minor neurological injury suffered by athletes.-Sports and entertainment:...
of a weever is acute and intense. The pain frequently is radiated to the area around the limb.http://w3.uniroma1.it/cav/inglese/enmare1.htm#tracina The seriousness of the pain reaches its peak thirty minutes after the sting, and then slowly decreases. However, some pain (or other sensation, such as a tingle) may continue to affect the area for up to twenty-four hours. Very rarely, pain can be propagated to the tributary lymph nodes, i.e. those in the groin (when the sting is on the sole of the foot), or those in the armpit (if the sting is on the hands).
The best first aid
First aid
First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care...
is to wash the wound, and then to immerse it in very hot water for at least an hour, in order to ease the pain and help destroy the protein-based venom. Water temperature for immersion should be 40 degrees Celsius or as hot as the patient can tolerate. Also, reassure the patient of the relative harmlessness of the sting.