Greater weever
Encyclopedia
The greater weever, Trachinus draco, is a weever
fish of the family
Trachinidae. It is less common than the lesser weever
.
, to dark green and brown, on the head and back, with pale sides, and with yellowish to bluish-brown oblique lines.
The greater weever's body is elongate, tapered and laterally compressed, with a large head. Its length is up to six times its height. The upper rim of the eye has two to three small open spines
, in front of each eye.
The mouth is huge and is set obliquely. The eyes are placed toward the top of the head. The dorsal fin
is blackish. The second dorsal fin and anal fins have a yellow stripe running their length.
Its pectoral fin is rounded with a notch. On the first dorsal fin
, both of the spines, and those of the gill covers, have venom
gland
s attached to them. The spines are grooved, and when pressed, toxin
is driven up the grooves.
A male unsexed fish's average size is 53 centimetres (20.9 in). It weighs about 1.86 kilograms (4.1 lb).
s (flexor and extensor) attached to the plate opercularis increases the exposed portion of the spine
to facilitate the injection of venom
. These two muscles are antagonistic, the contraction of one erects the spine, and thus increases its exposed portion such that the membrane surrounding the spine is not elastic, while the contraction of the other reduces the size of the exposed portion. The length of the exposed part of the spine depends on the angle of the opening of the cover.
The outer membrane of the spine presses on the venom gland during the contraction of the flexor muscle, ejecting the venom along the spine.
First aid
for stings follows the general pattern for treatment of all weever stings.
ing season is from June to August.
to Morocco
, Madeira
and the Canary Islands
, including the Mediterranean and the Black Sea
s. It also lives in all waters of the United Kingdom
. It prefers a temperate
Climate
.
The greater weever, like the lesser weever, lives on muddy, sandy or gravelly bottoms, at depths up to about 150 metres (492.1 ft). It usually rests on the bottom, often with eyes closed, exposing the tip of the first dorsal fin. They feed at night, pelagically, feeding on crustacean
s, shrimps and crabs, as well as smaller fish
.
s, mainly those that are public. This weever has medium resilience. The minimum population (that is doubling) time 1.4 to 4.4 years (assuming tm=2-4).
It is eaten fresh or frozen, can be fried, broiled, boiled and baked.
The greater weever, Trachinus draco, is a weever
fish of the family
Trachinidae. It is less common than the lesser weever
.
, to dark green and brown, on the head and back, with pale sides, and with yellowish to bluish-brown oblique lines.
The greater weever's body is elongate, tapered and laterally compressed, with a large head. Its length is up to six times its height. The upper rim of the eye has two to three small open spines
, in front of each eye.
The mouth is huge and is set obliquely. The eyes are placed toward the top of the head. The dorsal fin
is blackish. The second dorsal fin and anal fins have a yellow stripe running their length.
Its pectoral fin is rounded with a notch. On the first dorsal fin
, both of the spines, and those of the gill covers, have venom
gland
s attached to them. The spines are grooved, and when pressed, toxin
is driven up the grooves.
A male unsexed fish's average size is 53 centimetres (20.9 in). It weighs about 1.86 kilograms (4.1 lb).
s (flexor and extensor) attached to the plate opercularis increases the exposed portion of the spine
to facilitate the injection of venom
. These two muscles are antagonistic, the contraction of one erects the spine, and thus increases its exposed portion such that the membrane surrounding the spine is not elastic, while the contraction of the other reduces the size of the exposed portion. The length of the exposed part of the spine depends on the angle of the opening of the cover.
The outer membrane of the spine presses on the venom gland during the contraction of the flexor muscle, ejecting the venom along the spine.
First aid
for stings follows the general pattern for treatment of all weever stings.
ing season is from June to August.
to Morocco
, Madeira
and the Canary Islands
, including the Mediterranean and the Black Sea
s. It also lives in all waters of the United Kingdom
. It prefers a temperate
Climate
.
The greater weever, like the lesser weever, lives on muddy, sandy or gravelly bottoms, at depths up to about 150 metres (492.1 ft). It usually rests on the bottom, often with eyes closed, exposing the tip of the first dorsal fin. They feed at night, pelagically, feeding on crustacean
s, shrimps and crabs, as well as smaller fish
.
s, mainly those that are public. This weever has medium resilience. The minimum population (that is doubling) time 1.4 to 4.4 years (assuming tm=2-4).
It is eaten fresh or frozen, can be fried, broiled, boiled and baked.
The greater weever, Trachinus draco, is a weever
fish of the family
Trachinidae. It is less common than the lesser weever
.
, to dark green and brown, on the head and back, with pale sides, and with yellowish to bluish-brown oblique lines.
The greater weever's body is elongate, tapered and laterally compressed, with a large head. Its length is up to six times its height. The upper rim of the eye has two to three small open spines
, in front of each eye.
The mouth is huge and is set obliquely. The eyes are placed toward the top of the head. The dorsal fin
is blackish. The second dorsal fin and anal fins have a yellow stripe running their length.
Its pectoral fin is rounded with a notch. On the first dorsal fin
, both of the spines, and those of the gill covers, have venom
gland
s attached to them. The spines are grooved, and when pressed, toxin
is driven up the grooves.
A male unsexed fish's average size is 53 centimetres (20.9 in). It weighs about 1.86 kilograms (4.1 lb).
s (flexor and extensor) attached to the plate opercularis increases the exposed portion of the spine
to facilitate the injection of venom
. These two muscles are antagonistic, the contraction of one erects the spine, and thus increases its exposed portion such that the membrane surrounding the spine is not elastic, while the contraction of the other reduces the size of the exposed portion. The length of the exposed part of the spine depends on the angle of the opening of the cover.
The outer membrane of the spine presses on the venom gland during the contraction of the flexor muscle, ejecting the venom along the spine.
First aid
for stings follows the general pattern for treatment of all weever stings.
ing season is from June to August.
to Morocco
, Madeira
and the Canary Islands
, including the Mediterranean and the Black Sea
s. It also lives in all waters of the United Kingdom
. It prefers a temperate
Climate
.
The greater weever, like the lesser weever, lives on muddy, sandy or gravelly bottoms, at depths up to about 150 metres (492.1 ft). It usually rests on the bottom, often with eyes closed, exposing the tip of the first dorsal fin. They feed at night, pelagically, feeding on crustacean
s, shrimps and crabs, as well as smaller fish
.
s, mainly those that are public. This weever has medium resilience. The minimum population (that is doubling) time 1.4 to 4.4 years (assuming tm=2-4).
It is eaten fresh or frozen, can be fried, broiled, boiled and baked.
Weever
Weevers are nine species of fish of family Trachinidae, order Perciformes. They are long , mainly brown and have poisonous spines on their first dorsal fin and gills. During the day, weevers bury themselves in sand, just showing their eyes, and snatch prey as it comes past, which consists of...
fish of the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Trachinidae. It is less common than the lesser weever
Lesser Weever
The lesser weever, Echiichthys vipera, is a hazardous weever-fish of the family Trachinidae, in the order Perciformes, and the class Actinopterygii. It is generally found on the sandy seabeds of the open sea, near the shore. Lesser weevers are sometimes disturbed by swimmers, and may sting them badly...
.
Description
Its body is a greenish yellow or limeLime (color)
Lime, also traditionally known as lime green or lime-green, is a color three-quarters of the way between yellow and green , so named because it is a representation of the color of the citrus fruit called limes...
, to dark green and brown, on the head and back, with pale sides, and with yellowish to bluish-brown oblique lines.
The greater weever's body is elongate, tapered and laterally compressed, with a large head. Its length is up to six times its height. The upper rim of the eye has two to three small open spines
Spine (zoology)
A spine is a hard, thorny or needle-like structure which occurs on various animals. Animals such as porcupines and sea urchins grow spines as a self-defense mechanism. Spines are often formed of keratin...
, in front of each eye.
The mouth is huge and is set obliquely. The eyes are placed toward the top of the head. The dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
is blackish. The second dorsal fin and anal fins have a yellow stripe running their length.
Its pectoral fin is rounded with a notch. On the first dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
, both of the spines, and those of the gill covers, have venom
Venom
Venom is the general term referring to any variety of toxins used by certain types of animals that inject it into their victims by the means of a bite or a sting...
gland
Gland
A gland is an organ in an animal's body that synthesizes a substance for release of substances such as hormones or breast milk, often into the bloodstream or into cavities inside the body or its outer surface .- Types :...
s attached to them. The spines are grooved, and when pressed, toxin
Toxin
A toxin is a poisonous substance produced within living cells or organisms; man-made substances created by artificial processes are thus excluded...
is driven up the grooves.
A male unsexed fish's average size is 53 centimetres (20.9 in). It weighs about 1.86 kilograms (4.1 lb).
Sting mechanism
The interaction of two muscleMuscle
Muscle is a contractile tissue of animals and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to...
s (flexor and extensor) attached to the plate opercularis increases the exposed portion of the spine
Spine (zoology)
A spine is a hard, thorny or needle-like structure which occurs on various animals. Animals such as porcupines and sea urchins grow spines as a self-defense mechanism. Spines are often formed of keratin...
to facilitate the injection of venom
Venom
Venom is the general term referring to any variety of toxins used by certain types of animals that inject it into their victims by the means of a bite or a sting...
. These two muscles are antagonistic, the contraction of one erects the spine, and thus increases its exposed portion such that the membrane surrounding the spine is not elastic, while the contraction of the other reduces the size of the exposed portion. The length of the exposed part of the spine depends on the angle of the opening of the cover.
The outer membrane of the spine presses on the venom gland during the contraction of the flexor muscle, ejecting the venom along the spine.
First aid
First aid
First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care...
for stings follows the general pattern for treatment of all weever stings.
Reproduction
Spawning begins in June and August. Pelagic eggs are 1 millimetre (0.0393700787401575 in). BreedBreed
A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...
ing season is from June to August.
Range and habitat
It inhabits the Eastern Atlantic, in the area 66° N - 27° N, 19° W - 42° E. It ranges from NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
to Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
and the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, including the Mediterranean and the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
s. It also lives in all waters of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It prefers a temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
Climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
.
The greater weever, like the lesser weever, lives on muddy, sandy or gravelly bottoms, at depths up to about 150 metres (492.1 ft). It usually rests on the bottom, often with eyes closed, exposing the tip of the first dorsal fin. They feed at night, pelagically, feeding on crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s, shrimps and crabs, as well as smaller fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
.
Importance to humans
The greater weever has minor commercial importance, and is a gamefish. It can be found in aquariumAquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
s, mainly those that are public. This weever has medium resilience. The minimum population (that is doubling) time 1.4 to 4.4 years (assuming tm=2-4).
It is eaten fresh or frozen, can be fried, broiled, boiled and baked.
As sport
The UK Record Weights from rod/line from shore isThe greater weever, Trachinus draco, is a weever
Weever
Weevers are nine species of fish of family Trachinidae, order Perciformes. They are long , mainly brown and have poisonous spines on their first dorsal fin and gills. During the day, weevers bury themselves in sand, just showing their eyes, and snatch prey as it comes past, which consists of...
fish of the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Trachinidae. It is less common than the lesser weever
Lesser Weever
The lesser weever, Echiichthys vipera, is a hazardous weever-fish of the family Trachinidae, in the order Perciformes, and the class Actinopterygii. It is generally found on the sandy seabeds of the open sea, near the shore. Lesser weevers are sometimes disturbed by swimmers, and may sting them badly...
.
Description
Its body is a greenish yellow or limeLime (color)
Lime, also traditionally known as lime green or lime-green, is a color three-quarters of the way between yellow and green , so named because it is a representation of the color of the citrus fruit called limes...
, to dark green and brown, on the head and back, with pale sides, and with yellowish to bluish-brown oblique lines.
The greater weever's body is elongate, tapered and laterally compressed, with a large head. Its length is up to six times its height. The upper rim of the eye has two to three small open spines
Spine (zoology)
A spine is a hard, thorny or needle-like structure which occurs on various animals. Animals such as porcupines and sea urchins grow spines as a self-defense mechanism. Spines are often formed of keratin...
, in front of each eye.
The mouth is huge and is set obliquely. The eyes are placed toward the top of the head. The dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
is blackish. The second dorsal fin and anal fins have a yellow stripe running their length.
Its pectoral fin is rounded with a notch. On the first dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
, both of the spines, and those of the gill covers, have venom
Venom
Venom is the general term referring to any variety of toxins used by certain types of animals that inject it into their victims by the means of a bite or a sting...
gland
Gland
A gland is an organ in an animal's body that synthesizes a substance for release of substances such as hormones or breast milk, often into the bloodstream or into cavities inside the body or its outer surface .- Types :...
s attached to them. The spines are grooved, and when pressed, toxin
Toxin
A toxin is a poisonous substance produced within living cells or organisms; man-made substances created by artificial processes are thus excluded...
is driven up the grooves.
A male unsexed fish's average size is 53 centimetres (20.9 in). It weighs about 1.86 kilograms (4.1 lb).
Sting mechanism
The interaction of two muscleMuscle
Muscle is a contractile tissue of animals and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to...
s (flexor and extensor) attached to the plate opercularis increases the exposed portion of the spine
Spine (zoology)
A spine is a hard, thorny or needle-like structure which occurs on various animals. Animals such as porcupines and sea urchins grow spines as a self-defense mechanism. Spines are often formed of keratin...
to facilitate the injection of venom
Venom
Venom is the general term referring to any variety of toxins used by certain types of animals that inject it into their victims by the means of a bite or a sting...
. These two muscles are antagonistic, the contraction of one erects the spine, and thus increases its exposed portion such that the membrane surrounding the spine is not elastic, while the contraction of the other reduces the size of the exposed portion. The length of the exposed part of the spine depends on the angle of the opening of the cover.
The outer membrane of the spine presses on the venom gland during the contraction of the flexor muscle, ejecting the venom along the spine.
First aid
First aid
First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care...
for stings follows the general pattern for treatment of all weever stings.
Reproduction
Spawning begins in June and August. Pelagic eggs are 1 millimetre (0.0393700787401575 in). BreedBreed
A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...
ing season is from June to August.
Range and habitat
It inhabits the Eastern Atlantic, in the area 66° N - 27° N, 19° W - 42° E. It ranges from NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
to Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
and the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, including the Mediterranean and the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
s. It also lives in all waters of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It prefers a temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
Climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
.
The greater weever, like the lesser weever, lives on muddy, sandy or gravelly bottoms, at depths up to about 150 metres (492.1 ft). It usually rests on the bottom, often with eyes closed, exposing the tip of the first dorsal fin. They feed at night, pelagically, feeding on crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s, shrimps and crabs, as well as smaller fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
.
Importance to humans
The greater weever has minor commercial importance, and is a gamefish. It can be found in aquariumAquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
s, mainly those that are public. This weever has medium resilience. The minimum population (that is doubling) time 1.4 to 4.4 years (assuming tm=2-4).
It is eaten fresh or frozen, can be fried, broiled, boiled and baked.
As sport
The UK Record Weights from rod/line from shore isThe greater weever, Trachinus draco, is a weever
Weever
Weevers are nine species of fish of family Trachinidae, order Perciformes. They are long , mainly brown and have poisonous spines on their first dorsal fin and gills. During the day, weevers bury themselves in sand, just showing their eyes, and snatch prey as it comes past, which consists of...
fish of the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Trachinidae. It is less common than the lesser weever
Lesser Weever
The lesser weever, Echiichthys vipera, is a hazardous weever-fish of the family Trachinidae, in the order Perciformes, and the class Actinopterygii. It is generally found on the sandy seabeds of the open sea, near the shore. Lesser weevers are sometimes disturbed by swimmers, and may sting them badly...
.
Description
Its body is a greenish yellow or limeLime (color)
Lime, also traditionally known as lime green or lime-green, is a color three-quarters of the way between yellow and green , so named because it is a representation of the color of the citrus fruit called limes...
, to dark green and brown, on the head and back, with pale sides, and with yellowish to bluish-brown oblique lines.
The greater weever's body is elongate, tapered and laterally compressed, with a large head. Its length is up to six times its height. The upper rim of the eye has two to three small open spines
Spine (zoology)
A spine is a hard, thorny or needle-like structure which occurs on various animals. Animals such as porcupines and sea urchins grow spines as a self-defense mechanism. Spines are often formed of keratin...
, in front of each eye.
The mouth is huge and is set obliquely. The eyes are placed toward the top of the head. The dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
is blackish. The second dorsal fin and anal fins have a yellow stripe running their length.
Its pectoral fin is rounded with a notch. On the first dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
, both of the spines, and those of the gill covers, have venom
Venom
Venom is the general term referring to any variety of toxins used by certain types of animals that inject it into their victims by the means of a bite or a sting...
gland
Gland
A gland is an organ in an animal's body that synthesizes a substance for release of substances such as hormones or breast milk, often into the bloodstream or into cavities inside the body or its outer surface .- Types :...
s attached to them. The spines are grooved, and when pressed, toxin
Toxin
A toxin is a poisonous substance produced within living cells or organisms; man-made substances created by artificial processes are thus excluded...
is driven up the grooves.
A male unsexed fish's average size is 53 centimetres (20.9 in). It weighs about 1.86 kilograms (4.1 lb).
Sting mechanism
The interaction of two muscleMuscle
Muscle is a contractile tissue of animals and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to...
s (flexor and extensor) attached to the plate opercularis increases the exposed portion of the spine
Spine (zoology)
A spine is a hard, thorny or needle-like structure which occurs on various animals. Animals such as porcupines and sea urchins grow spines as a self-defense mechanism. Spines are often formed of keratin...
to facilitate the injection of venom
Venom
Venom is the general term referring to any variety of toxins used by certain types of animals that inject it into their victims by the means of a bite or a sting...
. These two muscles are antagonistic, the contraction of one erects the spine, and thus increases its exposed portion such that the membrane surrounding the spine is not elastic, while the contraction of the other reduces the size of the exposed portion. The length of the exposed part of the spine depends on the angle of the opening of the cover.
The outer membrane of the spine presses on the venom gland during the contraction of the flexor muscle, ejecting the venom along the spine.
First aid
First aid
First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care...
for stings follows the general pattern for treatment of all weever stings.
Reproduction
Spawning begins in June and August. Pelagic eggs are 1 millimetre (0.0393700787401575 in). BreedBreed
A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...
ing season is from June to August.
Range and habitat
It inhabits the Eastern Atlantic, in the area 66° N - 27° N, 19° W - 42° E. It ranges from NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
to Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
and the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, including the Mediterranean and the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
s. It also lives in all waters of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It prefers a temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
Climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
.
The greater weever, like the lesser weever, lives on muddy, sandy or gravelly bottoms, at depths up to about 150 metres (492.1 ft). It usually rests on the bottom, often with eyes closed, exposing the tip of the first dorsal fin. They feed at night, pelagically, feeding on crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s, shrimps and crabs, as well as smaller fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
.
Importance to humans
The greater weever has minor commercial importance, and is a gamefish. It can be found in aquariumAquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
s, mainly those that are public. This weever has medium resilience. The minimum population (that is doubling) time 1.4 to 4.4 years (assuming tm=2-4).
It is eaten fresh or frozen, can be fried, broiled, boiled and baked.