Weever showing a little more of its body above the sand than usual
SCUBAHUB
CRITTER CONFIDENTIAL Lesser weever
Echiichthys vipera
Marine biologist and author Paul Naylor goes in search of a fish that most bathers are keen to avoid - but should we fear the weever ?
I
am happy to say that , to date , this fish has caused me more frustration through failed photographic attempts than it has physical pain through its renowned venomous nature . I have not heard of divers getting stung , since they usually have their feet well covered but , for beachgoers , paddling barefoot in sandy areas during the summer brings a risk of a painful experience . Hot water helps to breaks down the toxin and relieve the excruciating pain of a weever sting so , at certain beaches , it can be quite common to see someone sitting with a foot in a steaming bucket looking very uncomfortable ! The reaction in some people is worse than in others and , as prevention is much better than cure , beach shoes are strongly recommended !
If seen underwater , the lesser weever is very distinctive . It has a head with a deep shape and steeply upturned mouth that combine to give what I always think is a rather grumpy appearance . The all-black front dorsal fin stands up if the weever feels threatened and is then very obvious . It is the three rays in this fin and one on each of the gill covers that can inject poison as a defensive response if the fish is trodden on , or handled in a net .
A good view of a weever is rare as they are very well adapted for burying themselves in sand and use their fins to dig into the seabed , which they soften with downward water jets from their gills . Here they remain , usually with just their eyes and front dorsal fin showing and , when that fin is folded , it is very inconspicuous .
An unusually co-operative weever photographed in north Wales
Being buried in the sand gives weevers the ideal opportunity to ambush their prey of shrimps and small fish such as gobies . They also do a lot of their hunting at night . Lesser weevers come into very shallow water including sandy shore pools in the summer , hence the painful experiences for bathers , but move into deeper , slightly warmer water during the winter .
My encounters with lesser weevers tend to follow a typical pattern . I spot one while swimming across a sandy seabed in shallow water and approach very cautiously with camera at the ready . The weever sees me and stands up its black dorsal fin in readiness . I go to squeeze the shutter and , before it clicks , the weever disappears rapidly in a cloud of sand ! The very few reasonable photographs I have obtained come from meeting unusually co-operative individuals .
The greater weever ( Trachinus draco ) is a rare sight , as it usually lives in deeper water offshore . It is larger , with obvious streaks on its sides , and its front dorsal fin only has a black tip . �
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