Do not panic, they are not piranhas.
But several dozen people had the unpleasant surprise of being bitten by fish while bathing on the large beach of Hendaye during the morning of Monday August 8, reported our colleagues from Sud-Ouest.
The injuries would be caused by “schools of fish” according to Yann Huynh-Tot, head of the rescue station concerned.
“We are used to stings, jellyfish, but this is the first time I have seen this phenomenon,” he explains to our colleagues.
According to the first elements, the bites are not painful and do not present any risks.
The triggerfish, the cause of the problem?
According to the first estimates, the leg biters would in fact be triggerfish, fish used to warm tropical waters, but it happens to come to the waters of the Mediterranean.
In July, the fish was also seen in the bay of Paimpol in the Côtes-d'Armor.
And this is not the first time that they have attacked vacationers.
Last June BFM Nice Côte d'Azur relayed on its site several attacks just a few meters from the beach.
Image of Ballista.
Diego Lesto
Normally, this fish is known to be curious, very sociable but not aggressive.
On the other hand, he can bite until he bleeds when he is hungry, or when he feels threatened.
Its very strong teeth allow it to grind mollusk shells from crab or sea urchin shells.
In 2020, several cases of triggerfish bites had been recorded in the south of France, near Saint-Raphaël, but also in Normandy.