Error message
Unable to fetch location details at this time.
Greater Weever
Trachinus draco
42.6521, 18.0622
Field Notes
Description:
Greater Weever, is a species of venomous marine fish found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Most individuals are between 20-30cm, even though they may reach up to 50cm in length.
It has a yellowish to greenish-brown body with darker mottled patterns. Trachinus draco has a long, elongated body with a slightly flattened head. The eyes are positioned on top of the head, giving it a unique appearance. The dorsal fin is characterized by venomous spines, which are a notable feature of this species.
Habitat:
Greater Weevers are commonly found in sandy and muddy substrates, often buried in the sediment with only their eyes and part of the head exposed. They inhabit coastal waters at depths ranging from shallow waters to around 100 meters. We observed it i such environment at soe 10-12m of depth.
Notes:
1.) A huge thank you to Laura Wheadon, my diving instructor, who also captured videos of our dives, resulting in these images.
2.) Greater weever is reputed to be the most venomous fish of Adriatic; the fishermen being the most common victims as they free the fish from the net. Its venom, seldom lethal, reportedly causes huge pain, that can last very long time - weeks and months... However, it is said that the venom is sensitive to heat; so the usual treatment is to soak the affected limb into hot water (40-42 °C).
Comments (0)
Be the first to comment
Sign in to comment