One of the most dangerous and poisonous fish in the Black Sea is the sea dragon. Snake fish, scorpion - such an unpredictable predator bears such nicknames. Despite the fact that he prefers to track 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 powerful weapons - poisonous needles, so you should know what it looks like to avoid an unpleasant injury.
The 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 an ordinary bull. The predator in question is very similar to it. His body is slightly flattened from the sides. The lower jaw protrudes beyond the upper, the eyes are located high on the head - this allows him to hunt effectively. The mouth is filled with small teeth that are razor-sharp. The color of the fish may differ depending on the halo of its habitat (from brown to gray), the abdomen has a lighter shade. The body of the predator is dotted with specks of stripes. Two sharp dorsal fins and several abdominal fins are located on the throat and directly on the gill covers - this is what the 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 very often hunts and breeds in shallow water. Sea dragons prefer to choose shallow bays or bays, where you can dig into the silt or sand. Hiding in the ground, they look out for the victim and lead a rather passive lifestyle. But such slowness is deceiving - as soon as the fish sees the victim, it can instantly jump out and grab it or stick its poisonous spike into the poor fellow. There are cases when a predator was conveniently located in low tide zones, so people simply stepped on it. And its similarity to an ordinary bull can be confusing - this is how the sea dragon disguises itself.
Dangerous attack
Although the fish prefers to lead a calm and measured lifestyle, if necessary, it attacks with lightning speed. A man does not have time to do anything, although the fish warns of danger: the "dragon" spreads a dark fan of the fin, which is located on the back. All rays of this weapon are equipped with needles that are saturated with poison. An additional poisonous spike grows in the predator on the gill cover. In an attack, the fish tries to grab its prey with its teeth, and if this is impossible, it stings with poisoned twigs and waits for the prey to lose control of its body. On the sharp protrusions of the fins are grooves, which are generously equipped with toxic glands.
Surprisingly, even dead fish can poison their prey - the poison is active for another 2-3 hours. Sea dragon does not specifically attack people - everything happens by chance. It can be stepped on or grabbed, especially the fishermen who take it in their hands, not knowing that the poison is very toxic. Therefore, you need to know what a sea dragon looks like. The photos presented in our article will give you an idea of its main differences from other predators.
The consequences of an unpleasant meeting
A sea dragon is a dangerous fish, and the effects of contact with it can be very unpleasant. Even a fatal outcome is possible. When the spike pierces the skin, the predator releases toxic poison into the blood. The injection is very painful, the wound acquires a bluish color. A person experiences very severe pain that spreads over a damaged limb. There are cases when paralysis of the arm or leg occurred. The temperature rises sharply, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea and vomiting may occur. A person often suffers from pain for several days. Urgently see a doctor! There is a serum that neutralizes poison. If you do not enter it, the patient may even die. It all depends on whether the victim met an adult fish or a small one.
How to behave when injected "dragon"
If you are not lucky enough to become the target of a fish attack, you should follow a few simple steps:
- Suck out the poison vigorously for about 10 minutes. Do not be afraid that the toxin will enter the bloodstream through the mouth - the bactericidal properties of saliva neutralize it.
- Treat the wound with a strong solution of potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide.
- Apply a sterile dressing to avoid additional infection.
- Get help at the hospital immediately.
If you do not perform these measures, you risk getting complications from such an injury - there are cases when ulcers occurred at the puncture site that did not go away before 3 months. This is such an insidious predator - a sea dragon. Fish has a perfect defense mechanism against enemies.
