Caution poisonous!
Nasty fish in the North and Baltic Seas: Its sting causes severe pain
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There are only a few poisonous animals in Germany. The weever is one of them. Caution is therefore required when splashing around in the water.
The weever is an inconspicuous fish, lives in the North and Baltic Seas. In spring and summer, the poisonous weever, also known as the adder of the sea, burrows up to the eyes in shallow water into the sea floor. However, its poisonous spines on the dorsal fin often stick out of the sand. It is therefore for people who bathe or children who play in the water impossible to see.
It gets painful if you accidentally step on it. Because then the up to 50 cm long fish stabs back. Its venom, while not fatal in most cases, causes severe pain.
How toxic is the poison?
per year between Stung 30 and 40 people. This is extremely painful and can cause swelling, blistering, redness and numbness of the skin, and joint pain. However, the sting is only life-threatening in the rarest of cases, for example if the person already has a previous illness. However, it is more problematic if a person is bitten in deeper water while swimming. Then there is a risk that he:she will no longer be able to keep his head above water because of the severe pain.
© aquapix / Adobe Stock
Prevention: wear bathing shoes
Measured by how many people jump into the North Sea and Baltic Sea to cool off each year, the probability of being stung by a weever is very low. However, if you want to be on the safe side, you can easily protect yourself by wearing bathing shoes, because you won’t be able to rely on your eyes in this case.
What to do if you get stung
- First you should Clean the wound, remove the sting and disinfect and stick a plaster on it. Better to do without a bandage.
- If possible, warm the wound (45-50°C). The poison consists mainly of proteins, which are destroyed at high temperatures.
- After about two minutes you should cool wound. And repeat this process alternately.
- Better safe than sorry: Once to the doctor with it. For allergy sufferers, the poison can lead to circulatory problems and even cardiac arrest. It also makes sense to refresh your tetanus vaccination.