Poisonous fish on the North and Baltic Seas: Beware of the "weever"
Created: 08/05/2022, 12:10 p.m
By: Omer Kayali
"Weevers" are poisonous fish whose stings can be very painful.
They can also be found in the water on coasts in Germany and on the Mediterranean Sea.
In summer, many people dream of a beach vacation.
Only a few of them think about what could be lurking in the sea.
The typical, but at the same time very unrealistic horror scenario is encountering a shark – we don't really have to worry about that, especially in waters in Europe.
In any case, it is mostly smaller fish that can spoil the good time for beach visitors.
The "weever" is one of these culprits.
The Poison Information Center North warned of this poisonous fish a few years ago and there are always cases in which people are stung - and the stings are extremely painful.
In addition to the North and Baltic Seas, weevers are also native to the Mediterranean and the northern Atlantic.
"Poisoning with the weever occurs again and again on the north German coasts.
You either step on the fish in shallow water or anglers injure themselves when detaching the fish from the fishing hook,” explains Prof. Dr.
Andreas Schaper from the poison information center north im
Geo Magazine
.
That's why weevers are so treacherous
A weever is hardly recognizable in the water as it burrows.
© Jfibu/Imago
The weever belongs to the order of the perch.
They have poisonous thorns and spikes to protect themselves.
On average, the poisonous fish are between 15 and 50 centimeters long.
This should make larger specimens easier to spot, but the fish burrow into the sand to catch prey, making them hard to see.
This means that mudflat walkers or swimmers are stung if they get too close to a weever.
These are the consequences of a sting:
Intense pain at the injection site, which can also radiate.
Swelling, redness and restricted movement.
The swelling can also spread.
Dizziness, nausea, abdominal pain and vomiting occur.
Pain usually subsides within 24 hours, but symptoms can persist days to weeks after the sting.
Complications and long-term consequences can occur.
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How to behave after being stabbed by the weever
Anyone who is stung should remain calm as possible, carefully remove the sting and disinfect the puncture site.
In addition, the wound should be warmed up as quickly as possible, since the weever's poison consists of heat-sensitive proteins.
Since it is usually the feet that are bitten, they should be placed in water with a temperature of around 40 degrees – a few minutes is enough.
The wound can then be cooled to relieve pain.
A doctor's visit is still recommended.
So that it doesn't get that far, you can put on bathing shoes when entering the water.