# Weever > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Weever > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Weever.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weever > Source revision: 1354642965 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Family of ray-finned fishes}} {{about|weeverfish|other uses}} {{more citations needed|date=April 2012}} {{Automatic taxobox | name = Weevers | image = Trachinus vipera.jpg | image_caption = [Lesser weever](/source/Lesser_weever), ''Echiichthys vipera'' | taxon = Trachinidae | authority = [Rafinesque](/source/Constantine_Samuel_Rafinesque), 1815{{cite WoRMS |title=Trachinidae Rafinesque, 1815|id=125570 |year=2017|db=FishBase |access-date=19 June 2018}} | subdivision_ranks = Genera | subdivision = * ''[Echiichtys](/source/Echiichtys)'' * ''[Trachinus](/source/Trachinus)'' See text for species. }} [[File:WeeverFish.JPG|thumb|right|[Lesser weever](/source/Lesser_weever) fish, caught from the beach at [Prestatyn](/source/Prestatyn), [North Wales](/source/North_Wales). Note the highly distinctive venomous dorsal spines (separated by almost black skin) and dark-tipped tail.]] '''Weevers''' (or '''weeverfish''') are nine [extant](/source/extant_taxon) species of [ray-finned fish](/source/ray-finned_fish)es of the [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) '''Trachinidae''' in the order [Perciformes](/source/Perciformes), part of the wider clade [Percomorpha](/source/Percomorpha). They are long (up to 37 cm), mainly brown in color, and have venomous spines on their first [dorsal fin](/source/dorsal_fin) and [gill](/source/gill)s. During the day, weevers bury themselves in sand, just showing their eyes, and snatch prey as it comes past, which consists of [shrimp](/source/shrimp) and small fish. Weevers are unusual in not having [swim bladder](/source/swim_bladder)s, as have most [bony fish](/source/bony_fish), and as a result sink as soon as they stop actively swimming. With the exception of ''[T. cornutus](/source/Trachinus_cornutus)'' from the southeast Pacific, all species in this family are restricted to the eastern Atlantic (including the Mediterranean). An extinct relative, ''[Callipteryx](/source/Callipteryx)'', is known from the [Monte Bolca](/source/Monte_Bolca) [lagerstätte](/source/lagerst%C3%A4tte) of the [Lutetian](/source/Lutetian) epoch.{{cite book|last=Frickhinger|first=Karl Albert|title=Fossil Atlas, Fishes|date=March 1996|publisher=Tetra Print|isbn=978-1564651150|pages=[https://archive.org/details/fossilatlasfishe0000fric/page/882 882]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/fossilatlasfishe0000fric/page/882}}{{Cite journal |last1=Carnevale |first1=G. |last2=Bannikov |first2=Alexandre F. |last3=Marramà |first3=G. |last4=Tyler |first4=James C. |last5=Zorzin. |first5=R. |date=2014 |title=The Bolca Fossil-Lagerstätte: A window into the Eocene World. 5. The Pesciara- Monte Postale Fossil-Lagerstätte: 2. Fishes and other vertebrates. Excursion guide |url=https://iris.unito.it/bitstream/2318/149338/1/Carnevale%20et%20al%202014%20The%20Pesciara%20F-L.%20Fishes%20and%20other%20vertebrates2.pdf |journal=Rendiconti della Società Paleontologica Italiana |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=i–xxvii |hdl=10088/25678}} Weevers are sometimes used as an ingredient in the recipe for ''[bouillabaisse](/source/bouillabaisse)''.Jean-Louis André, ''Cuisines des pays de France'', Éditions du Chêne, 2001 Weevers are sometimes erroneously called 'weaver fish', although the word is unrelated. In fact the word 'weever' is believed to derive from the [Old French](/source/Old_French) word ''wivre'', meaning [serpent](/source/snake) or [dragon](/source/dragon), from the Latin ''[viper](/source/Viperidae)a''.{{cite web|url=http://www.yourdictionary.com/ahd/w/w0080800.html|title=''The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language'', Fourth Edition|website=Yourdictionary.com|access-date=28 January 2019|archive-date=9 September 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060909041803/http://www.yourdictionary.com/ahd/w/w0080800.html|url-status=dead}} It is sometimes also known as the viperfish, although it is not related to the [viperfish](/source/viperfish) proper (i.e. the [stomiid](/source/stomiid)s of the genus ''Chauliodus''). In Australia sand perches of the family [Mugilidae](/source/Mugilidae) are also known as weevers. In Portugal the weever is known as ''peixe-aranha'', which translates to 'spider-fish', and in [Catalan](/source/Catalan_language) as ''aranya'', which is identical to the word for 'spider'. ==Species== The 9 extant species in two [genera](/source/genus) are: * Genus ''[Echiichthys](/source/Echiichthys)'' ** [Lesser weever](/source/Lesser_weever), ''E. vipera'' ([Cuvier](/source/Georges_Cuvier), 1829) * Genus ''[Trachinus](/source/Trachinus)'' ** [Spotted weever](/source/Spotted_weever), ''T. araneus'' Cuvier, 1829 ** [Guinean weever](/source/Guinean_weever), ''T. armatus'' [Bleeker](/source/Pieter_Bleeker), 1861 ** [Sailfin weever](/source/Sailfin_weever), ''T. collignoni'' Roux, 1957 ** ''[Trachinus cornutus](/source/Trachinus_cornutus)'' Guichenot, 1848. ** [Greater weever](/source/Greater_weever), ''T. draco'' [Linnaeus](/source/Carolus_Linnaeus), 1758 ** [Striped weever](/source/Striped_weever), ''T. lineolatus'' Fischer, 1885 ** [Cape Verde weever](/source/Cape_Verde_weever), ''T. pellegrini'' Cadenat, 1937 ** [Starry weever](/source/Starry_weever), ''T. radiatus'' Cuvier, 1829 ===Timeline=== ImageSize = width:1000px height:auto barincrement:15px PlotArea = left:10px bottom:50px top:10px right:10px Period = from:-65.5 till:10 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:-65.5 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:-65.5 TimeAxis = orientation:hor AlignBars = justify Colors = #legends id:CAR value:claret id:ANK value:rgb(0.4,0.3,0.196) id:HER value:teal id:HAD value:green id:OMN value:blue id:black value:black id:white value:white id:cenozoic value:rgb(0.54,0.54,0.258) id:paleogene value:rgb(0.99,0.6,0.32) id:paleocene value:rgb(0.99,0.65,0.37) id:eocene value:rgb(0.99,0.71,0.42) id:oligocene value:rgb(0.99,0.75,0.48) id:neogene value:rgb(0.999999,0.9,0.1) id:miocene value:rgb(0.999999,0.999999,0) id:pliocene value:rgb(0.97,0.98,0.68) id:quaternary value:rgb(0.98,0.98,0.5) id:pleistocene value:rgb(0.999999,0.95,0.68) id:holocene value:rgb(0.999,0.95,0.88) BarData= bar:eratop bar:space bar:periodtop bar:space bar:NAM1 bar:space bar:period bar:space bar:era PlotData= align:center textcolor:black fontsize:M mark:(line,black) width:25 shift:(7,-4) bar:periodtop from: -65.5 till: -55.8 color:paleocene text:[Paleocene](/source/Paleocene) from: -55.8 till: -33.9 color:eocene text:[Eocene](/source/Eocene) from: -33.9 till: -23.03 color:oligocene text:[Oligocene](/source/Oligocene) from: -23.03 till: -5.332 color:miocene text:[Miocene](/source/Miocene) from: -5.332 till: -2.588 color:pliocene text:[Plio.](/source/Plio.) from: -2.588 till: -0.0117 color:pleistocene text:[Pleist.](/source/Pleist.) from: -0.0117 till: 0 color:holocene text:[H.](/source/Holocene) bar:eratop from: -65.5 till: -23.03 color:paleogene text:[Paleogene](/source/Paleogene) from: -23.03 till: -2.588 color:neogene text:[Neogene](/source/Neogene) from: -2.588 till: 0 color:quaternary text:[Q.](/source/Quaternary) PlotData= align:left fontsize:M mark:(line,white) width:5 anchor:till align:left color:eocene bar:NAM1 from: -33.9 till: 0 text: [Trachinus](/source/Trachinus) PlotData= align:center textcolor:black fontsize:M mark:(line,black) width:25 bar:period from: -65.5 till: -55.8 color:paleocene text:[Paleocene](/source/Paleocene) from: -55.8 till: -33.9 color:eocene text:[Eocene](/source/Eocene) from: -33.9 till: -23.03 color:oligocene text:[Oligocene](/source/Oligocene) from: -23.03 till: -5.332 color:miocene text:[Miocene](/source/Miocene) from: -5.332 till: -2.588 color:pliocene text:[Plio.](/source/Plio.) from: -2.588 till: -0.0117 color:pleistocene text:[Pleist.](/source/Pleist.) from: -0.0117 till: 0 color:holocene text:[H.](/source/Holocene) bar:era from: -65.5 till: -23.03 color:paleogene text:[Paleogene](/source/Paleogene) from: -23.03 till: -2.588 color:neogene text:[Neogene](/source/Neogene) from: -2.588 till: 0 color:quaternary text:[Q.](/source/Quaternary) ==Interaction with humans== ===Stings: causes, frequency and prevention=== Most human stings are inflicted by the lesser weever, which habitually remains buried in sandy areas of shallow water and is thus more likely to come into contact with bathers than other species (such as the greater weever, which prefers deeper water); stings from other species are generally limited to anglers and commercial fishermen. Even very shallow water (sometimes little more than damp sand) may harbour lesser weevers. The vast majority of injuries occur to the foot and are the result of stepping on buried fish; other common sites of injury are the hands and buttocks. Stings are most common in the hours before and after low tide (especially at springs), so one possible precaution is to avoid bathing or paddling at these times. Weever stings have been known to penetrate [wet suit](/source/wet_suit) boots even through a [rubber](/source/rubber) sole (if thin), and bathers and surfers should wear sandals, "[jelly shoes](/source/jelly_shoes)", or wetsuit boots with relatively hard soles, and avoid sitting or "rolling" in the shallows. Stings also increase in frequency during the summer (to a maximum in August), but this is probably the result of the greater number of bathers. The lesser weever can be found from the southern [North Sea](/source/North_Sea) to the Mediterranean, and is common around the south coast of the United Kingdom and Ireland, the Atlantic coast of France, Portugal and Spain, and the northern coast of the Mediterranean. The high number of bathers found on popular tourist beaches in these areas means stings are common, although individual chances of being stung are low. The ''[South Wales Evening Post](/source/South_Wales_Evening_Post)'' stated (on 8 August 2000) that around 40 weever stings are recorded in the [Swansea](/source/Swansea) and [Gower](/source/Gower_Peninsula) area every year,{{cite web|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/all-about/swansea|title=Swansea: The latest news, sport, what's on and business from Swansea and Gower|website=Walesonline.co.uk|access-date=28 January 2019}} but many victims do not seek medical assistance and go uncounted. ===Symptoms=== At first many victims believe they have simply scratched themselves on a sharp stone or shell, although this barely hurts; significant pain begins 2–3 minutes afterwards. Weever stings cause severe pain; common descriptions from victims are "extremely painful" and "much worse than a [wasp](/source/wasp) (or [bee](/source/bee)) sting". Common and minor symptoms include severe pain, itching, swelling, heat, redness, numbness, tingling, nausea, vomiting, joint aches, headaches, abdominal cramps, lightheadedness, increased urination and tremors. Rare and severe symptoms include abnormal heart rhythms, weakness, shortness of breath, seizures, decreased blood pressure, [gangrene](/source/gangrene), tissue degenerationBranko Šuljić, ''Sportski ribolov'', 2001 and unconsciousness. ===Treatment=== Although extremely unpleasant, weever stings are not generally dangerous and the pain will ease considerably within a few hours even if untreated. Complete recovery may take a week or more; in a few cases, victims have reported swelling and/or stiffness persisting for months after envenomation. [First aid](/source/First_aid) treatment consists of immersing the affected area in hot water (as hot as the victim can tolerate without being [scalded](/source/scalding)), which will accelerate [denaturation](/source/Denaturation_(biochemistry)) of the [protein](/source/protein)-based [venom](/source/venom). The use of hot water will reduce the pain felt by the victim after a few minutes. Usual experience is that the pain then fades within 10 to 20 minutes, as the water cools. [Folklore](/source/Folklore) often suggests the addition of substances to the hot water, including [urine](/source/urine), [vinegar](/source/vinegar), and [Epsom salts](/source/Epsom_salts), but this is of limited or no value. Heat should be applied for at least 15 minutes, but the longer the delay (before heat is applied), the longer the treatment should be continued. Once the pain has eased, the injury should be checked for the remains of broken spines, and any found need to be removed. Over-the-counter [analgesic](/source/analgesic)s, such as [aspirin](/source/aspirin) or [ibuprofen](/source/ibuprofen), may be of assistance in management of pain and can also reduce [edema](/source/edema). Medical advice should be sought if any of the symptoms listed above as rare or severe are observed, if swelling spreads beyond the immediate area of injury (e.g. from hand to arm), if symptoms persist, or if any other factor causes concern. Medical treatment consists of symptom management, analgesia (often with [opiate](/source/opiate)s) and the same heat treatment as for first aid - more systemic treatment using [histamine antagonist](/source/histamine_antagonist)s may assist in reducing local inflammation.''Journal of Accident and Emergency Medicine'' 1996;13:141-142 ===Fatalities=== The only recorded death in the UK occurred in 1933, when a fisherman off [Dungeness](/source/Dungeness_(headland)) suffered multiple stings.{{cite web|url=http://www.dover-kent.com/2014-project/Pilot-Inn-Dungeness.html|title=PILOT INN Pub of Dungerness|website=Dover-kent.com|access-date=28 January 2019}} The victim may have died of other medical causes exacerbated by the stings.{{cite web|url=http://www.glaucus.org.uk/weever2.htm|title=Beware the Weever fish!|website=Glaucus.org.uk|access-date=28 January 2019}} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * [http://www.glaucus.org.uk/weever2.htm Personal accounts of being stung by Weever fish] {{Taxonbar|from=Q649808}} Category:Trachinidae Category:Venomous fish Category:Fish of the East Atlantic Category:Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Weever](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weever) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weever?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.