What to do when pricked by a sea dragon. Dangerous marine life: Black Sea sea dragon Poisonous dragon fish

Everyone knows the famous Japanese delicacy - Fugu fish. This can be said to be the prototype of Russian roulette, because the fish contains a lethal dose of tetrodotoxin. The outcome of dinner with this fish dish depends entirely on the skill of the cook. Many Japanese and fans Japanese cuisine they order Fugu for themselves in order to "tickle their nerves", in addition, small remains of poison in the dish give the human body a slight euphoric effect. Few people know that the Black Sea also has its own "Fugu fish" - the Black Sea dragon. This fish with poisonous spines has very tasty meat, especially when dried. But it is necessary first of all to get rid of the poisonous spines and spines in the dorsal fins and on the gills. After removal of dangerous organs, fish can be cooked in any form, but in Ukraine the sea dragon is not included in the list commercial fish, so you can try it only by catching it yourself, or by ordering from local fishermen. The sea dragon (Trachinidae), although a dangerous, but beautiful fish, is the only representative of draconians in the Black Sea. In total, there are five species of such fish in the oceans, they live mainly in the Mediterranean Sea and in the eastern part of Atlantic Ocean. The Black Sea dragon has a low, elongated body, with small, dense scales. There are spikes on the head, the largest are located on the gill covers. The dragon has two dorsal fins, the first is short of 6-7 rays. The body of the fish itself is painted gray or beige with oblique stripes on the sides. The length of the sea dragon is most often up to 20 centimeters, but some individuals were caught up to 40-45 centimeters long. Whelps are sedentary fish, they spend most of their time hunting for prey, while they hunt hiding in the sand and just waiting for a suitable fish or crustaceans. You can meet the sea dragon everywhere in the Black Sea, there were cases when it was even met in the Kerch Strait. Closer to the shore, dangerous fish are selected during the breeding season - from May to November, but do not rise from a depth of more than 20 meters. The main danger of the Black Sea dragon is in its poison glands, which are located at the base of the spines of the dorsal fin and spines on the gill covers. You can be exposed to a poisonous injection by accidentally stepping on a fish or if you accidentally catch it on a hook while fishing. Fishermen are the main risk group, especially amateurs, they often do not know what dangerous representatives look like. marine fauna and without fear, with bare hands, any fish that got on the hook. You can’t touch sea dragons with your hands at all, fishermen advise you to carefully muffle the fish with some object, and then throw it into the sea, or immediately cut off part of the fishing line with a hook. At the moment of an injection with poisonous spikes, a person will feel a burning pain, which from the injection site will quickly spread throughout the limb. At the injection site, cyanosis, swelling is formed, in severe cases, even paralysis is possible. lower limb, heart failure, convulsions. Symptoms will gradually increase over several hours after the injection. How can you help? It is necessary to apply a tourniquet above the wound (no longer than 15 minutes), rinse the wound, remove the remnants of a thorn or thorn, call medical care. The injection site can be disinfected hot water with magnesium sulfate, which will destroy the poison, doctors relieve pain with novocaine blockade. If you do not provide medical assistance to the victim in time, the consequences can be very serious, in the literature there are even descriptions of deaths after injections of sea dragons. @

The amazing and unique world of the underwater kingdom has always aroused interest and excited the imagination of impatient explorers. Indeed, what forms and manifestations of life can not be seen in the thickness of

Bottom fish - a dangerous marine life

One of the most interesting specimens of the inhabitants of the seas washing the shores of the European, African, and South American continents is the sea dragon, snake fish or scorpion. A poisonous fish of medium size and weighing about 300 grams has an elongated body shape flattened from the sides, an elongated lower jaw equipped with small but rather sharp teeth, a bright brown-yellow back color with dark intermittent spots and stripes and a light milky belly.

Sea dragons are in the first row with the most dangerous fish temperate latitudes. Their name is absolutely consistent with their appearance. The presence of characteristic fins with spikes that have deep grooves, at the base of which there are glands containing poison, gives the fish a very high danger and a dragon appearance. Spines located on the gill covers and in the first dorsal fin - formidable weapon, which the sea dragon uses in any danger or on the hunt. The poison of this fish is extremely dangerous and acts like a snake, as its second name reminds - snake fish.

Behavioral features

Sea dragons prefer quiet backwaters in shallow bays with muddy or sandy bottoms. Burrowing up to its eyes in soft ground, the fish lies calmly, but jumps out with lightning speed as soon as it sees the approaching prey. The dragon is most active at dusk, it is not visible during the day, and given that he loves the same places as bathers, the danger from meeting him only increases. Even just walking in shallow water, a person runs the risk of getting a portion of poison from the fins if he accidentally steps on a sea dragon.

Lifestyle

AT summer period sea dragons stay within 20 m from sea level, and wintering goes to the depths, feeding on fry, small crustaceans, shrimps and crabs. The fish reaches sexual maturity at the age of three. Spawning continues throughout the summer period - from June to October. The female dragon during this time is able to sweep up to 73 thousand eggs. On average, its dimensions are from 15 to 20 cm, but there are also giants in their family: specimens 35 - 45 cm long are known.

The sea dragon, whose photo is presented, has no industrial value, but amateur fishermen often catch this fish, whose meat is very tasty. Catching a dragon, you need to be very careful. Even a dead snake can sting.

Precautionary measures

The poisonous sea dragon can cause serious harm, and so that the rest does not turn into troubles and health problems, divers, bathers and tourists should get acquainted with the appearance of these fish and observe necessary measures precautions:

do not try to grab the fish with bare hands;
do not rummage underwater caves, they may hide a sea dragon, a photo of which should first be studied in order to get acquainted with the potential danger;
walking on the coast at low tide, you need to look under your feet, as these fish do not always have time to leave with water, often remain in wet sand and can be easily stepped on;
having found a dead dragon, you should not touch it with your hands - the poison persists for some time;
if the fisherman caught the dragon, you should immediately cut off the poisonous spikes.

First aid for an injection

If, nevertheless, it was not possible to protect yourself from the attack of the snake fish, it is necessary, without wasting time, to provide the necessary assistance to the victim. A prick of a thorn causes quite painful sensations: the resulting sharp stabbing pains are very painful, a feverish state, accompanied by a rise in temperature, can last from a day to a week. There is an opinion that the poison is destroyed if, immediately after the bite, it is injected with a syringe into the wound with a 5% solution of potassium permanganate. This measure reduces or prevents inflammation and relieves pain, but a first aid kit is not always at hand.

Experienced fishermen who encounter fin pricks immediately apply a tourniquet above the site of injury and suck out the poison, spitting it out. It is advisable to put cold on the injection site and go to the nearest medical institution. Unfortunately, in this case, it is impossible to do without hospitalization. There is no specific antidote for the poison that affects sea dragons. The strongest pain is not stopped even by morphine, so first aid is very important.

Depending on the depth of the wound and the degree of assistance provided, different time to restore health: sometimes it takes several days, sometimes - more than one month.

Black Sea dragon

An analogue of the famous one in Russia - one of the eight species that have long and successfully mastered the open spaces, sometimes appearing in

Kerch Strait. It has a low flattened body, with small, tight-fitting scales. The head is decorated with spikes, the most dangerous of which are located on the gills. The two dorsal fins of the dragon, like a magnificent crest, beautiful and dangerous, are at the same time a serious weapon and a calling card.

Non-industrial, but amazingly tasty, sea dragon is caught by amateur fishermen. The Black Sea keeps large stocks of this amazing - a small owner of a formidable weapon.

These are small fish, no more than 45 cm in length. Scientists distinguish only five species of sea dragons. This is one of the most poisonous fish in temperate zones. There are many of them off the coast of the eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean, in the Mediterranean, Black and Baltic Seas, where they are an object of fishing and are even considered a delicacy fish.

The famous scientist B. Halsted distinguishes four types of sea dragons. Two of them are the most dangerous for humans. it big dragon, which lives off the coast of Norway, the British Isles and further south to mediterranean sea and coast North Africa, as well as in the Baltic and Black Seas, and small dragon less than 15 cm long, which is perfectly settled in the North Sea and along the entire coast of Europe up to the borders of the Mediterranean Sea.

They prefer quiet bays and bays, where they burrow into soft soil, sand or silt, exposing their heads to the outside. They represent real danger for fishermen and for bathers, as they have the ability to quickly jump out of their hiding place when a person approaches and stick their cheek spikes into the victim. These spikes are located on the gill covers of sea dragons, they are quite long and sharp. If we consider such a spike, it is clear that it is a wide, flat, sharp protrusion at the end, at the base of which poisonous glands lie. The first dorsal fin also contains several poisonous rays. All of these spikes are covered with leather, except for the sharp bare ends. Poison glands are located in the same way as in scorpionfish, in grooves that pierce the spines along their entire length.

A disturbed, irritated dragon spreads its gill covers and lifts up the poisonous stings of the dorsal fin, taking on a "bristled" appearance. Sea dragons guarding their nesting area are especially dangerous. In this case, they do not wait to be stepped on, like scorpion fish, but jump out of their shelter themselves and pounce on the “guest” that has appeared. These aggressive fish are able to be inconspicuous in the ground and, having a potent poison, represent serious danger for scuba divers working in the waters chosen by these fish.

poisonous secret, produced by the glands of sea dragons, like the poisons of other fish, has a protein base. This protein contains in its composition smaller toxic protein components, i.e., as a complex protein, it can be decomposed into simple protein parts that make it up, some of which contain toxic components. Dragon venom contains substances that act on the nervous and circulatory system including, of course, the heart. In this respect, it resembles the venom of certain types of snakes. Most likely, this is why sea dragons got their second name - snake fish.

After an injection with a sea dragon, severe pain occurs in the affected area, which spreads widely. After about 30 minutes, the pain becomes so severe that the person may lose consciousness.

If help is not provided, then the pain can last up to 24 hours. Itching occurs around the wound, and it loses sensitivity. The skin around it turns red and swells sharply. The edema is often extensive and sometimes persists for more than ten days.

The victim begins to fever. He gets headache, vomiting begins, the heart rhythm is disturbed. As a result of these disorders in the body, which, as a rule, is accompanied by a violation of breathing, the victim may die.

instead of a preface. The fish of the Black Sea have changed in their qualitative composition over several millennia, because the sea was fresh. Later, it connected with the World Ocean, and fish that sailed from it began to be found in the Black Sea.

This process continues to this day, which is preparing more than one surprise for lovers of sea fishing. What kind of fish is caught in the Black Sea, you can find out from local fishermen, who are easy to meet along the entire coast in in large numbers. Most often, fishermen produce representatives of:

Mullet.
Horse mackerels.
Mackerel.
flounders.
Pelamid.
Bluefish.

There is no fisherman who does not have goby fishing in his history. The best places considered for fishing Krasnodar region, suburbs of Odessa, Kerch. The fish of the Black Sea has at least 20 thousand varieties. Mention should be made of those who may become the fisherman's catch.

Cat shark. Its average size is 60 cm. It is interesting in that the caviar of this shark has horns, with their help the eggs are fixed at the bottom.
Cat shark meat is suitable for consumption in processed form.
Red mullet. A small, up to 30 cm, fish - red mullet is the subject of catching sea fishing enthusiasts. She spends all her time near the bottom.
Beluga. One of the largest inhabitants of the Black Sea. True, individuals weighing 2 centners are already rare in our time.
Black Sea salmon or trout. rare in this moment species, the continuation of which depends entirely on man.
Goby. Exist different types of these fish, but the sculpin goby, the sandpiper goby are of interest to the fisherman.
Flounder-glossa. This predator grows up to 25 cm. The fish leads an ambush life, waiting for its prey in a shelter in the sand. In addition to this species, you can also find other representatives of the flounder, there are up to 500 species of them in nature. There are individuals of impressive size, growing up to 4 meters and weighing up to 3 centners.
Kalkan. This is also a flounder, but already larger than glossa. Kalkan grows up to 80 cm, weights 15 kg.
Mullet. Three species of this fish are of interest to the amateur angler.
Loban. 70 cm mullet weighing 7 kg.
Singil or larich is a kind of mullet of the Black Sea. Striped fish 55 cm long.
Ostronos. A nimble mullet that allows itself to jump out of the water. This fish reaches 40 cm.
Sea carp or laskir. Average height - 18 cm, weight - 200 g.
Horse mackerel is divided into 2 groups according to their size: ordinary (20 cm) and southern (50 cm). This fish is kept by the team, that is, schooling.
Lechia. Small flocks of up to 10 individuals are the subject of interest of the angler.
Lufar - pack representative aquatic life. This is a meter bloodthirsty predator. It is caught not only by amateurs, but also mined on an industrial scale.
Mackerel. Body size varies. Individuals fall in 30 cm with a weight of 300 g, as well as 60 cm.
Tuna. beautiful predator 3 m and weighing several centners. When playing, it can pull the fisherman into the water.
Bonito. Quite large, 85 cm, the fish sometimes weighs 7 kg.
Ram. The most big fish This species can grow up to half a meter in length. Its weight is 2 kg.
Chekhon. This is a schooling fish 30 cm long and 300 g of weight.
Gurnard. Appearance quite unusual. The fish lives in the depths. She is a valuable asset.
Garfish. Because of the taste, it is caught quite actively. Sargan also keeps in the team.
Sea fox. This is a meter stingray with a weight of 15 kg.
Smarida or sea bass. He is interesting in that he changes his gender during his life. It is not of particular interest to the angler due to its small stature and weight.
Brown trout. This salmon is a migratory fish. Other salmon also live in the Black Sea.

The Black Sea and its poisonous inhabitants

The poisonous fish of the Black Sea are also the object of catching, because they have high-quality meat. taste quality. For bathers and fishermen, the following marine inhabitants are dangerous: katran (spiny shark). It is the only species that is hunted on an industrial and recreational scale. This shark grows up to 2 m, its weight is 14 kg. It is believed that she does not attack people, but bathers in the evening should beware of her.
Katrans swim up to the rocks near the shore. Because the fins on their backs are venomous and their body is studded with spikes, they can harm humans.
Anglers do not touch this fish with their bare hands, only with gloves.
A formidable torpedo, a sword is a fish. It can include speed up to 130 km per hour. The swordfish is famous for its ferocious nature, because it attacks everything that moves, regardless of size.
Ruff - scorpionfish. Even though a prick with a thorn can bring enough pain and great trouble to a person, it is a desirable component of the fish soup, and its meat is a delicacy.
Catfish. Poisonous fish growing up to 2.5 m.
Sea dragon. In terms of its toxicity, this small sea fish surpasses many.
Astrologer. In addition to poisonous spikes, she possesses poisonous mucus that causes a chemical burn of great force to a person.

Features of fishing at sea

Fishing can be organized all year round, but most auspicious time– calm weather without precipitation, slight winds and tolerable temperature are allowed.
Tackle for fishing on the Black Sea. The fisherman can try:

Spinning.
Donki.
Petty tyrant.
track.
And in the winter sheer glitter.

Tackle for sea fishing is different in that the fishing line is needed more durable (0.3-0.60 mm), and the hooks are tinned, resistant to sea salt water.

Types of nozzles

Crab. Its meat is loved by almost all fish.
Shrimp. It is used on a fishing rod with a float, donks and hook tackle.
Mussels. Their meat can attract many fish, but not mullet.
Tilithrids (sea fleas). Red mullet, gobies and greenfinches will certainly come to feast on them.
Sea worms. They are used on any tackle for any fish.
Pieces of fish meat. sea fish almost all predators, so this bait is suitable for all fish.
Spleen of animal origin. This nozzle is considered universal. It is used not only fresh, but also canned.
Snail. This is a bait for small fish. The meat is planted, freeing it from the house.

sea dragon

sea dragon- not at all a fabulous, sweet creature. This is the most dangerous poisonous bottom fish. She lives in the waters temperate zone, lives off the western and northern African coasts, off the European coast, the coast of Chile. The dragon has other names: snake fish, scorpion. There are 5 types of these fish.

The appearance is not particularly attractive: the body is flat laterally, the eyes are on the top of the head, the belly is light, and the back is yellow-brown with torn stripes. The dragon has a mouth with small sharp teeth, the lower jaw is much longer than the upper one, the body reaches 40 cm, and the weight is 300 grams. There are several on the throat. pelvic fins and two dorsal.

They live in bays in shallow water, burrowing into sand or soil so that only the head, eyes, mouth, dorsal fin with spikes are visible. With visible passivity, the fish can jump out of the shelter with lightning speed and plunge the poisoned spike into the victim. This is what makes this fish so dangerous for those who walk barefoot in shallow water, dive, dive.

The weapons of the dragons are the spines of the dorsal fin with deep furrows. At their base are poisonous glands. The injection of this fish causes excruciating pain, and the injection site swells and becomes inflamed, sometimes there is necrosis of the tissues around the injection. The victim begins a severe headache, fever, sweating, respiratory failure, pain in the heart. If the poisoning is severe, depending on the size and depth of the injection, then this can lead to paralysis and even death. Therefore, it is imperative to consult a doctor. And before that, the poison must be sucked out by washing the affected area with a solution of manganese.

If you perform elementary rules precautions, then the bites of these fish can be avoided:

Do not touch even a dead sea dragon;
- do not search underwater caves with your hands;
- walking along the shore at low tide, you need to look under your feet.