Weevers (or weeverfish) are nine extant species of fishes of family Trachinidae, order Trachiniformes, part of the Percomorpha clade. They are long (up to 37 cm), mainly brown in color, and have venomous 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 shrimp and small fish.
Weevers are unusual in not having swim bladders, as do most bony fish, and as a result, sink as soon as they stop actively swimming. With the exception of T. cornutus from the southeast Pacific, all species in this family are restricted to the eastern Atlantic (including the Mediterranean). A tenth, extinct species, Callipterys speciosus, is known from the Monte Bolca lagerstätte of the Lutetian epoch.
Weevers are sometimes used as an ingredient in the recipe for bouillabaisse.
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 word wivre, meaning serpent or dragon, from the Latin vipera. It is sometimes also known as the viperfish, although it is not related to the viperfish proper (i.e., the stomiids of the genus Chauliodus).
In Australia, sand perches of the family Mugilidae are also known as weevers.
In Portugal, the weever is known as peixe-aranha, which translates to 'spider-fish', and in Catalan as aranya, which is identical to the word for 'spider'.
Species
The 9 extant species in two genera are:
Genus Echiichthys
Lesser weever, E. vipera (Cuvier, 1829) Genus Trachinus Spotted weever, T. araneus Cuvier, 1829 Guinean weever, T. armatus Bleeker, 1861 Sailfin weever, T. collignoni Roux, 1957 Trachinus cornutus Guichenot, 1848. Greater weever, T. draco Linnaeus, 1758 Striped weever, T. lineolatus Fischer, 1885 Cape Verde weever, T. pellegrini Cadenat, 1937 Starry weever, T. radiatus Cuvier, 1829 Genus Callipterys Agassiz 1835 † Monte Bolca weever, C. speciosus, from the Lutetian
Timeline
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 boots even through a rubber sole (if thin), and bathers and surfers should wear sandals, "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 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 stated (on 8 August 2000) that around 40 weever stings are recorded in the Swansea and Gower area every year, 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 about 2–3 minutes after being stung. Weever stings cause severe pain; common descriptions from victims are "extremely painful" and "much worse than a wasp (or 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, tissue degeneration, and unconsciousness.