The sea dragon is a dangerous poisonous slave inhabiting the Black Sea

One of the most dangerous and poisonous fish of the Black Sea is the sea dragon. Fish-snake, a scorpion-such a nickname is carried by this unpredictable predator. Despite the fact that he prefers to track down his prey at a depth of about 15-20 meters, there are cases when people suffered from his poison on the coast. Small and inconspicuous, the sea dragon has a powerful weapon - poisonous needles, so it's worth to know how it looks to avoid an unpleasant injury.

Appearance of a predator

The fish has an elongated body, its length reaches 40-50 cm. It weighs very little - within 200-300 g. Surely you are familiar with the common bull-calf. This predator is very similar to it. His torso is slightly flattened from the sides. The lower jaw protrudes from the upper jaw , the eyes are located high on the head - this allows him to effectively hunt. The mouth is filled with small teeth that are sharp like a razor. The color of the fish may differ depending on the halo of its habitat (from brown to gray), the abdomen has a lighter shade. Taurus predator is dotted with speckled strips. Two sharp dorsal fins and several abdominal ones are located on the throat and directly on the gill covers - that's what a sea dragon looks like. The Black Sea, which we consider safe, has become home to this poisonous fish.

Habitat

Despite the fact that the fish prefers to hide in the depths of the sea, it often hunts and multiplies in shallow water. Sea dragons prefer to choose shallow bays or bays, where you can dig into silt or sand. Hiding in the ground, they look out for the victim and lead a rather passive lifestyle. But such slowness is deceptive - as soon as the fish sees the victim, it can instantly jump out and grab it or plunge its poisoned thorn into the poor fellow. There are cases when the predator was conveniently located in low tide areas, so people just attacked it. Yes, and its similarity to a common bull-calf can be confusing - so disguised as a sea dragon.

Dangerous attack

Although the fish prefers to lead a calm and measured lifestyle, if necessary, it attacks lightning fast. A person will not have time to do anything, although the fish warns of danger: the "dragon" spreads the dark fan of the fin, which is located on the back. All the beams of this weapon are equipped with needles that are impregnated with poison. An additional poisoned spike grows in the predator on the gill cover. When attacking, the fish tries to grab its victim with teeth, and if this is not possible, stings with poisoned tweaks and waits until the extraction loses control of its body. On the sharp protrusions of the fins are grooves, which are generously provided with poisonous glands.

Surprisingly, even a dead fish can poison its prey - the poison is active for another 2-3 hours. The sea dragon does not specifically attack people - everything happens by accident. You can step on or grab on him, especially the fishermen who take it in their hands, not knowing that the poison is very toxic. Therefore it is necessary to know what the sea dragon looks like. The photos presented in this article will give you an idea of its main differences from other predators.

Consequences of an unpleasant meeting

The sea dragon is a dangerous fish, and the consequences of contact with it can be very unpleasant. Even lethal outcome is possible. When a spike pierces the skin, a predator throws toxic poison into the bloodstream. The injection is very painful, the wound becomes bluish. A person experiences very severe pain that spreads through the injured limb. There are cases when paralysis of the arm or leg occurs. The temperature rises sharply, there may be shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. A man often suffers from pain for several days. It is urgent to see a doctor! There is a serum that neutralizes the poison. If you do not enter it, the patient may even die. It all depends on whether the victim has met an adult fish or a small one.

How to behave when pricking a "dragon"

If you are not lucky enough to become an object of a fish attack, you should perform a few simple steps:

• Suck off the poison vigorously for about 10 minutes. It is not necessary to be afraid, that the toxin gets to a blood through a mouth - bactericidal properties of a saliva it neutralizes.
• Treat the wound with a strong solution of potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide.
• Apply a sterile bandage to avoid additional infection.
• Call the hospital immediately for help.

If you do not perform these measures, you risk getting complications from such a trauma - there are cases when ulcers appeared on the puncture site, which did not last until 3 months. Here is a cunning predator - a sea dragon. The fish has a perfect defense mechanism against enemies.

Realities

Resting on the favorite beaches of the Black Sea, we do not even think about such a close neighborhood with poisonous fish. But it is necessary to be very careful and accurate with the marine inhabitants :

• Never try to catch an unfamiliar fish.
• Do not ruffle the seabed with your feet.
• If you saw a crevice in rocks or reefs, do not put your hands there. "Dragons" like to rest in such places.
• At low tide, walking along the shore, look under your feet.

Dear travelers and tourists, remember that you must always be vigilant, because we are invading the sea inhabitants, so we must be careful. Take care of your health and learn fish that can cause you serious harm.