Black Sea sea dragon. Sea dragon - Trachinidae. Our list is completed by the Sea dragon, or sea scorpion.

11.06.2019

Forewarned means forearmed, this statement is well suited to the information that we will present to you about the most dangerous fish in the Black Sea. The name of a small sea animal that can cause big trouble is the sea dragon. After an unwanted meeting with a dragon, many respectfully call him a dragon. The injection of our today's hero is more dangerous and more painful than the wound of a scorpionfish. This article will be useful for everyone who is going to.

Appearance

A dangerous fish that is found in Anapa has an elongated body, with an elongated caudal peduncle and big head. The eyeballs are located on the top of the head close to each other, and constantly directed towards the surface. The lower jaw is directed upward and is much larger than the lower one. There are two fins on the back, long undivided and short, consisting of 5-6 rays closer to the head.
The body coloration is light with a beige tint. Throughout the body there are camouflage spots. The cephalic short fin differs sharply in color from the general shade, its membranes are painted in dark gray. This crest is the main weapon of the sea dragon, as it contains poisonous substances.

habits

The underwater dragon prefers a calm lifestyle. Most A small but proud fish spends its time at the bottom. Disguised in sea mud or sand, the dragon waits for its prey. When a favorite dish appears, a small fish or a crustacean, the dragon strains all its strength for an instant throw. Using his vertical vision and mouth trap, a successful hunter always finds food in the depths of the Black Sea. AT summer days dragons come closer to the shore, wintering go to a deeper zone.

The dragon starts mating games in the summer and ends in the middle of autumn. The female lays more than 50 thousand eggs, from which young fish appear over time.
The main dimensions of the dragon, which can be found off the coast of Anapa, are 15-20 centimeters and weighs about 150 grams.

The dark short head fin and spikes on the gill covers of the dragon are equipped with poisonous glands, which are extremely dangerous for humans. When a person is injected, the state of health deteriorates sharply, unbearable stabbing pain occurs at the site of injury, the victim of the dragon falls into a panic and does not control his behavior. If you do not consult a doctor in the first hour of the bite, the temperature and pressure rise, there are frequent cases of arrhythmia of the heart muscle and pulmonary edema, loss of consciousness. A hematoma appears at the site of the affected area of the body.

The main victims of small fish are inexperienced fishermen, who often fish in Anapa for the first time. A sea dragon caught on a hook is just waiting to be removed, at this moment it is very easy to get caught on the thorns of a sea reptile. Experienced fishermen use special tacks and tweezers and carefully remove poisonous fish.

We have already noted that in summer time dragon is a lover of bottom shallow water. It is possible to step on the spikes when swimming on sandy beach Anapa. However, sea dragons prefer deeper and more secluded places. There are cases that after a storm, some individuals remain at the bottom of the beaches, so excessive caution will not hurt the tourist.

If you are sure that you have become a victim of the poisonous fish of the Black Sea, you must take the following measures. Liberally treat the wound with hydrogen peroxide, in this case, pain can be reduced. If there are no medicines at hand, it will help hot water in which you want to lower the affected area of the body. At high temperature poison toxins are destroyed. Older fishermen who have encountered a "friendly" baby dragon place a tourniquet above the wound and suck out the poison through their mouths. But the best method of getting rid of the consequences is a medical intervention, which only a professional doctor can provide you with.

Despite the poisonous properties of the thorns of the sea dragon, the meat of a small fish is considered incredibly tasty. If you are on the menu

Did you know that poisonous and dangerous fish is found in the Black Sea, which is called the sea dragon. The predator, characterized by an unpredictable character, received other nicknames - a scorpion, a snake fish. Determined that sea Dragon prefers to get food for itself at depths of 15 to 20 meters, but, despite this, there have been cases when vacationers on the coast itself became victims of this poisonous fish.

The sea dragon is a small inconspicuous fish, very similar to the usual Black Sea goby, but what formidable weapon she hides in herself! poison needles sea dragon can cause quite significant damage to human health, so we suggest that you get to know this marine life better so that when you meet him, you can avoid injuries and injuries.

General description of sea dragon fish

It has a serpentine, laterally compressed, elongated body, covered with small scales. The head in relation to the body is large, at the top of which are bulging eyes. The lower jaw is long, extending from the palate to the upper part of the snout, with small, sharp teeth. The gills and dorsal fin are equipped with naked spines 2 - 3 cm, whose glands contain poison. The anal feathers evenly extend to the ventral, large fins. The tail looks like a panicle. The color of the body is light brown, the belly is white.

Lifestyle

AT summer period sea dragons stay within 20 m from sea level, and wintering goes to the depths, feeding on fry, small crustaceans, shrimps and crabs. The fish reaches sexual maturity at the age of three. Spawning continues throughout the summer, from June to October. The female dragon during this time is able to sweep up to 73 thousand eggs. On average, its dimensions are from 15 to 20 cm, but there are also giants in their family: specimens 35 - 45 cm long are known. The sea dragon, whose photo is presented, has no industrial value, but amateur fishermen often catch this fish, whose meat is quite tasty. Catching a dragon, you need to be very careful. Even a dead snake can sting.

How to prevent a sea dragon sting

Divers, tourists just swimming or walking along the shore, and even fishermen can meet with a sea dragon. Therefore, it is worth remembering a number of recommendations that will reduce the likelihood of contact with him.

First, in no case do not try to grab the dragon with an unprotected hand. Do not search underwater caves with your hands, as you can run into a hidden predator in them.
Secondly, be careful when walking on the seabed. Often the dragon waits for its prey, having previously buried itself in the sand. At the same time, only the top of its head with a mouth and eyes, as well as a black dorsal fin, are visible from the outside. When danger arises, the fish spreads poisonous spikes and swiftly attacks the enemy.
Thirdly, carefully look under your feet, walking barefoot on sea shore at low tide. It happens that the water, receding, leaves behind sea dragons in the wet sand, which are very easy to step on.
Fourth, stay vigilant while sea fishing. The sea dragon outwardly resembles an ordinary goby. In addition, he even bites on the bait used when catching gobies. Therefore, if you have caught a dragon, first kill it, and only then drag it into the boat and release the hook very carefully.
Fifth, never touch with bare hands even a dead dragon. Remember, poison is dangerous for several days after the death of the fish.
Sixth, if you want to eat a dragon, put on thick canvas gloves or mittens, take scissors and cut off the first dorsal fin and spikes from the gill covers.

How to deal with the consequences

The consequences of the action of the poison of the sea dragon come immediately. The injection site becomes bluish and swollen. The pain is sharp and spreads rapidly. Symptoms can be a sharp increase in body temperature, general weakness and dizziness, nausea and difficulty breathing. In particularly difficult cases, paralysis of the “stung” limb or death may follow.

Important! No need to panic. The first correct actions will minimize the effects of a sea dragon sting and will enable medicines deal with poison faster. The pain may remain in a small and aching form for a while, but there will be no danger to the body.

Having pricked with a thorn of a sea dragon, you should definitely contact the nearest medical center, having completed a series of actions before that. First of all, before qualified medical assistance, you need to perform the following steps:

squeeze or suck out the poison from the wound so that as little of it as possible enters the body;
in the presence of potassium permanganate, treat the wound with it, it has a neutralizing effect;
apply a sterile dressing.

What not to do when pricked by a sea dragon

It is not recommended to apply a tourniquet to the pricked limb. This will only worsen the well-being of the victim and contribute to the development of complications.
You should also not make incisions on the wound to drain the poison. Thus, you only further injure the victim.
It is impossible to burn the pricked place either with matches, or cigarettes, or embers from a fire, or any other hot objects. The reasons are discussed in the previous paragraphs.
It is forbidden to drink alcohol, as it dilates the blood vessels and thereby contributes to the faster spread and absorption of the poison.

Consequences of a prick of a sea dragon

Definitely a sea dragon. dangerous predator, contact with which can bring a lot of unpleasant moments to a person. In severe cases, even death is possible.

After the poisonous spike digs into the skin, toxic poison is injected into the blood, and the wound becomes bluish in color. The bite site is very painful, and the person experiences severe pain. The pain spreads throughout the limb where the wound is located. Cases have been recorded when a leg or arm was paralyzed. What could be:

Labored breathing.
A sharp rise in temperature.
Nausea.
Dizziness.
Vomit.
Paralysis of the injured limb.

The pain can torment the victim for several days.

Important: Seek medical attention immediately! There is a serum that neutralizes toxic poison, and if you do not enter it as soon as possible, a fatal outcome is likely.

A severe outcome is possible if a person "met" an adult fish.

Interesting, unusual and funny facts about this fish

The sea dragon often comes across, as an unexpected surprise, in the net or under one's feet in the water. Improper handling of toxic fish leads to the following consequences: cyanosis in the stung area, fever, fever, heart palpitations, pressure surge. The condition can last up to a week.

First aid after a bite: a tourniquet is applied above the affected area, hold for no more than 15 minutes. The poison is sucked out with blood, spitting it out. Rinse with a 5% solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) or hydrogen peroxide, if the spines remain, pull them out and apply a sterile bandage. Next, it is recommended to make a hot compress and contact the nearest medical institution .

The needles of the fish contain a poison for which there is no vaccine, severe pain even morphine does not anesthetize. Therefore, timely assistance is very important.

For example, the minimum lethal dose in mice is 1.8 micrograms, while at least 110 mg can be extracted from a medium-sized fish. The effect of the poison, even after death, persists for several more days.

Fishermen have been known to amputate their own fingers to relieve pain or avoid more serious consequences. Known cases with lethal outcome, as a rule, does not come from a toxin, but from a subsequent infection. Experienced fishermen recommend attaching a match to the bite site and setting it on fire from the second. If this procedure is done in the first minutes, then the listed symptoms can be avoided.

Studies were carried out to study the composition of the toxin contained in the spines of the sea dragon fish, in which the poison of two different snakes was revealed.

Due to its aggressive temperament, dragon fish has repeatedly become the hero of news clips.

There is no swim bladder, because of no need, because he spends his whole life at the bottom. The perfect disguise, burrowing pelvic fins into the ground, remains invisible even at close range.

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 itself. Small and inconspicuous, the sea dragon has powerful weapon- poisonous needles, so you should know what it looks like in order to avoid unpleasant injury.

Appearance of a predator

The fish has an elongated body, its length reaches 40-50 cm. It weighs quite a bit - in the range of 200-300 g. You are probably familiar with an ordinary bull. The predator in question is very similar to it. His body is slightly flattened laterally. The lower jaw protrudes from 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 color), the abdomen has a lighter shade. The body of the predator is dotted with spots-stripes. Two sharp dorsal fins and several ventral fins are located on the throat and directly on the gill covers - this is what a sea dragon looks like. The Black Sea, which we consider safe, has become home to this

Habitat

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 coves or inlets where they can burrow into the mud 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 stick its poisoned spike into the poor fellow. There are cases when a predator was conveniently located in low tide zones, so that people simply stepped on it. Yes, and its similarity with 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 person will not have time to do anything, although the fish warns of danger: the “dragon” straightens the dark fan of the fin, which is located on the back. All beams of this weapon are equipped with needles that are impregnated with poison. An additional poisoned spike grows on the predator's operculum. When attacked, the fish tries to grab its prey with its teeth, and if this is not possible, it stings with poisoned pinches and waits for the prey to lose control of its body. On the sharp protrusions of the fins there are grooves, which are generously supplied 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 chance. It can be stepped on or grabbed, especially fishermen who pick it up, not knowing that the poison is very toxic. Therefore, it is necessary 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.

Consequences of an unpleasant meeting

The sea dragon is a dangerous fish, and the consequences of contact with it can be very unpleasant. Even death is possible. When the spike pierces the skin, the predator releases a toxic venom into the bloodstream. The injection is very painful, the wound becomes cyanotic. A person experiences very severe pain that spreads along the injured limb. There are cases when there was paralysis of the arm or leg. The temperature rises sharply, difficulty breathing, dizziness, nausea and vomiting may occur. A person often suffers from pain for several days. You need to see a doctor urgently! 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 met an adult fish or a small one.

How to behave when injected with a "dragon"

If you are not lucky enough to be the target of a fish attack, you must follow a few simple steps:

If you do not take these measures, you risk getting complications from such an injury - there are cases when ulcers appeared at the puncture site that did not go away for up to 3 months. This is such an insidious predator - the sea dragon. The fish has a perfect defense mechanism against enemies.

realities

Resting on our favorite beaches of the Black Sea, we do not even think about such a close proximity to poisonous fish. But you need to be very careful and careful with marine life:

Never try to catch unfamiliar fish with your hands.
Don't rub your feet.
If you see a crevice in the rocks or pitfalls, do not stick your hands in there. "Dragons" love to relax 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 possession of marine inhabitants, so we must be careful. Take care of your health and study fish that can seriously harm you.

The Black Sea does not belong to tropical seas teeming with poisonous fish and dangerous animals. Here there is no electric rays, no cannibal sharks, no Portuguese boats, nor toothy moray eels, however, in its waters there are Marine life that pose a risk to human health.

Will start very soon bathing season 2017 and yearning for a long winter for the sun and water, vacationers will massively reach the banks of rivers, lakes, and of course, they will go to rest on Black Sea coast. The Black Sea is very friendly to people, there are practically no animals dangerous to humans, however, here you need to be on the alert so as not to spoil your vacation thoroughly. These are the few inhabitants of the Black Sea who can give us trouble.

It is easily distinguished by its fleshy, bell-like dome and the heavy beard of the oral lobes underneath. On these lacy lobes are poisonous stinging cells. Try to swim around them; but in general, ordinary nettle burns more than cornerot. The jellyfish poses a certain danger to human mucous membranes, so you should beware of diving with open eyes and put jellyfish in swimming trunks.

Another large Black Sea jellyfish is Aurelia (Aurelia aurita)

Her stinging cells are weaker, they do not pierce the skin on the body, but it can hurt to burn the mucous membrane of the eye or the edges of the lips of Aurelia; Therefore, it is better not to throw jellyfish at each other. The stinging cells of Aurelia are on a fringe of small tentacles that border the edge of the dome of the jellyfish. If you touched a jellyfish, even a dead one, rinse your hands - stinging cells may remain on them, and if you then rub your eyes with them, you will burn yourself.

Spiny shark, or katran

Lives in the Black, Barents, Okhotsk and Seas of Japan. Length - up to 2 meters. It is called prickly for two strong sharp spikes, at the base of which there are poisonous glands located in front of the dorsal fins. With them, the katran is capable of inflicting deep wounds on an unlucky fisherman or a careless scuba diver. An inflammatory reaction develops at the site of the lesion: pain, hyperemia, edema. Sometimes there is a rapid heartbeat, slow breathing. It should not be forgotten that the katran has shark teeth, despite its modest size. Its poison, unlike the others, contains mainly myotropic (acting on the muscles) substances and has a rather weak effect, therefore, in the vast majority of people poisoning ends with a complete recovery.

Sea ruff, or Black Sea scorpion - Scorpaena porcus

This is a real monster - a large head covered with outgrowths, horns, bulging crimson eyes, a huge mouth with thick lips. Rays dorsal fin turned into sharp spines, which the scorpion, if disturbed, spreads; at the base of each ray is a poisonous gland. This is the protection of the ruff from predators, its weapon of defense. And the weapon of attack - jaws with many sharp crooked teeth - are intended for careless fish that approached the scorpion at a distance of its swift, furious throw. The whole appearance of the scorpion speaks of its danger; and at the same time she is beautiful - and there are very scorpionfish different colors- black, gray, brown, raspberry yellow, pink ...

These spiny predators lurk between stones, under algae, and, like all bottom fish, change color to match the color of their surroundings, can quickly lighten or darken depending on the light. They hide the scorpion and numerous outgrowths, spikes and leathery tentacles, turning it into one of the stones, overgrown with marine vegetation. Therefore, it is difficult to notice her, and she herself relies so much on her inconspicuousness that she swims away (more precisely, flies away like a bullet from a gun!) Only if you get close to her. Sometimes you can even touch it - but you just don’t need to do this - you’ll prick! It is more interesting, lying on the surface of the water and breathing through a tube, to watch the scorpionfish hunt ...

There are two types of scorpions in the Black Sea- noticeable scorpionfish Scorpaena notata, it is no more than 15 centimeters in length, and the Black Sea scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus - up to half a meter - but such large ones are found deeper, further from the coast. The main difference between the Black Sea scorpionfish is long, rag-like, supraorbital tentacles. In the conspicuous scorpion, these outgrowths are short. The poisons they secrete are especially dangerous in early spring. The pricks of the fins are very painful.

Wounds from scorpion thorns cause burning pain, the area around the injections turns red and swells, then general malaise, fever, and your rest is interrupted for a day or two. Wounds should be treated like normal scratches. The main symptoms of sea ruff poisoning are local inflammation (where they pricked) and a general allergic reaction. Therefore, the only pills that can help are anti-allergic (antihistamine) drugs - remember to strictly follow the instructions for using the pills that come with all medicines. There are no known deaths from scorpion stings. No one accidentally steps on it either - curious divers and fishermen suffer from its thorns when they remove the ruff from the hook or take it out of the net. By the way, sea ruff- a very tasty fish, but you need to clean it carefully - even the scorpionfish that have lain in the refrigerator have poison.

In small doses, the toxin causes local inflammation of the tissues, in large doses - paralysis of the respiratory muscles. The poison of the sea ruff contains mainly substances that act on the blood, so the symptoms of poisoning in the victims persist for several days and then disappear without complications.

Stingray stingray, he is a sea cat

Grows up to 1 m in length. He has a thorn on his tail, or rather a real sword - up to 20 centimeters in length. Some fish have two or even three spines. Its edges are very sharp, and besides, jagged, along the blade, on the underside there is a groove in which dark poison from the poisonous gland on the tail is visible. If you hit a stingray lying at the bottom, it will hit with its tail like a whip; at the same time, he sticks out his thorn and can inflict a deep chopped or stab wound. A stingray wound is treated like any other.

Stingrays lead a bottom lifestyle. Despite the fact that sea cats are quite shy, they are afraid of noise, they try to swim away from bathers, if they accidentally step on a stingray buried in the ground in shallow water with a sandy bottom, it begins to defend itself and inflicts a deep wound on a person with its “weapon ". A prick is like being stabbed with a blunt knife. The pain quickly increases and after 5-10 minutes becomes unbearable. Local phenomena (edema, hyperemia) are accompanied by fainting, dizziness, impaired cardiac activity. In severe cases, death can occur from heart failure. Usually on the 5-7th day the victim recovers, but the wound heals much later.

The venom of a sea cat, once in the wound, causes painful phenomena similar to bites. poisonous snake. It acts equally on both the nervous and circulatory systems. Unlike the katran and scorpionfish, after a close acquaintance with sea cat, it is unlikely that it will be possible to do without the help of a doctor.

Astrologer, or sea cow

Their usual sizes are 30-40 centimeters. They live in the Black Sea and Far East. Stargazer, or sea cow, living in the Black Sea, has a grayish-brown spindle-shaped body with white, irregularly shaped spots running along the lateral line. The eyes of the fish are directed upwards, towards the sky. Hence its name. The stargazer spends most of its time at the bottom, burrowing into the ground, exposing its eyes and mouth with a protruding worm-like tongue that serves as bait for fish. On gill covers and over pectoral fins sea cow there are sharp spikes. During the breeding season, from late May to September, an accumulation of toxin-producing cells develops at their base. Through the grooves on the spikes, the poison enters the wound.

Soon after the injury, a person develops at the injection site sharp pain, the affected tissue swells, breathing becomes difficult. Only after a few days the person recovers. The venom secreted by stargazers is similar in effect to dragonfish toxin, but has not been well studied. Known cases deaths when affected by these species of fish living in the Mediterranean Sea.

Our list is completed by the Sea dragon, or sea scorpion.

The most poisonous fish in many European seas lives in the Black Sea and the Kerch Strait. Length - up to 36 centimeters. A smaller species lives in the western part of the Baltic - the small sea dragon, or viper (12-14 centimeters). The structure of the poisonous apparatus of these fish is similar, and therefore the development of signs of poisoning is similar. In a sea dragon, the body is compressed from the sides, the eyes are set high, close together and look up. The fish lives at the bottom and often burrows into the ground so that only the head is visible. If you step on it bare foot or grab it with your hand, its sharp spines pierce the body of the “offender”. Poisonous glands in a scorpion are provided with 6-7 rays of the anterior dorsal fin and spines of gill covers. Depending on the depth of the injection, the size of the fish, the condition of the victim, the consequences of being hit by a dragon may be different. At first, a sharp, burning pain is felt at the site of injury. The skin in the area of the wound turns red, edema appears, tissue necrosis develops. Arise headache, feverish condition, profuse sweating, pain in the heart, breathing is weakened. Paralysis of the limbs can occur, and in the most severe cases, death. However, poisoning usually disappears after 2-3 days, but a secondary infection, necrosis and a sluggishly current (up to 3 months) ulcer necessarily develop in the wound. It has been established that dragon venom contains mainly substances that act on circulatory system, the percentage of neurotropic toxins is low. Therefore, the vast majority of cases of poisoning ends with the recovery of a person.

To prevent poisoning by poisonous fish, divers, divers, scuba divers, tourists and just relaxing by the sea should take the following precautions.

Never try to grab fish with an unprotected hand, especially unknown to you, located in crevices or lying on the bottom.

It is not always safe, as experienced scuba divers testify, to touch unfamiliar objects located on sandy ground. These can be stingrays camouflaged there, sea dragons or stargazers. It is also dangerous to search underwater caves with your hands - you can stumble upon a hidden scorpionfish in them.

Fans of walking barefoot on the seashore at low tide need to carefully look under their feet. Remember: sea dragons often remain in the wet sand after the water recedes, and they are easy to step on. Children and those who first came to the sea coast should be especially warned about this.

Emergency measures in case of damage by prickly spikes poisonous fish should be aimed at relieving pain from the injury and poison, overcoming the effects of the toxin and preventing secondary infection. When injured, it is necessary to immediately vigorously suck the poison out of the wound with the mouth along with the blood for 15-20 minutes. The suctioned liquid must be quickly spit out. There is no need to be afraid of the action of the toxin: the bactericidal substances contained in saliva reliably protect against poisoning. However, remember that this procedure cannot be performed on those who have wounds, injuries, sores on their lips and in the oral cavity. After this, the site of the lesion must be washed with a strong solution of potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide and an aseptic bandage applied. Then the victim is given an analgesic and diphenhydramine to prevent the development allergic reactions, as well as plentiful drink, strong tea is better.

When pricking any poisonous fish, there is a proven folk way reduce the pain of the wound. If you caught the offender, and most often it is careless fishermen who get injured, then you need to cut off a piece of meat from the fish that injured you and attach it to the wound. The pain will subside significantly, however, in the case of the sea dragon, the stargazer and the stingray, the soonest qualified medical assistance is needed in the future.

In conclusion, I would like to remind you once again: be careful and careful when swimming, diving and scuba diving. You can easily avoid unpleasant contact with dangerous inhabitants, since they themselves never attack a person, but use their weapons solely for the purpose of self-defense.

Sea Dragon- predatory benthic sea fish, the only representative of the perch-like order of the dragon family, inhabiting coastal waters Black Sea. You can meet him both in sandy shallow waters and far from the coastline, at depths of up to 70 meters. The sea dragon has an elongated snake-like body than in in general terms resembles a Black Sea goby. But the sea dragon, unlike the goby, has a more variegated color, somewhat similar to a pike ..

Amateur fishermen purposefully do not catch this fish - it comes across only occasionally. Commercial value does not, although the meat has a very pleasant taste. The body length of the sea dragon ranges from 10 to 45 centimeters. He gains weight up to 300 grams. Among fishermen, for its peculiar body and for the ability to inflict "deadly blows", this fish bears several dissonant names: "serpent" and "scorpion".

When and where does the sea dragon come across

In the by-catch, the sea dragon can be found from spring to winter cold. Pleasing to the eye of fishermen with their mass and size, specimens can be caught at any time of this period. AT this year great activity of this dangerous fish was observed at the end of July, we caught it with whole families, 5-6 pieces per cast, and the capture of a giant dragon 45 centimeters in size fell on mid-November.

If any thrill-seeking fisherman really wants to flirt with danger, then you can find a sea dragon in areas with a sandy or muddy bottom. Usually it burrows in such places in silt or sand and waits for small bottom fish and crustaceans darting back and forth.

Tackle for catching a sea dragon

A sea dragon is almost never caught on a float rod, except when a gaping fisherman, having set the wrong depth on the float, in literally words are dragged by hooks along the bottom.

Donka - this is the tackle on which the sea dragon most often appears. You can catch smarida, laskir, scorpionfish or red mullet, but if you have a fresh shrimp on your hook, you can also catch a sea dragon with a high probability. The quality of the gear does not interest him. This fish clings even to hooks large sizes No. 4-6. Also, he is not embarrassed by the thickness of the fishing line with a diameter of 0.16-0.22 mm, intended for fishing bluefish.

Sea dragon bait

The sea dragon does not particularly go over bait. Shrimp is a favorite delicacy for this fish, but it rarely refuses freshly caught fish and raw squid, cut into small slices.

Bait and bait is optional. In addition to the weakness of the sea dragon to baits of animal origin, he is just as well tempted by artificial baits located on hooks: beads, sequins or edible rubber. The sea dragon is not very picky and therefore enough even for completely empty hooks.

Sea Dragon Fishing Safety

Since the sea dragon is an exclusively random fish in catches, there is no need to talk about any specific nuances of fishing, biting and fighting it, but I will dwell on extracting it from the water and safety precautions before sending it to the bucket.

Among the Black Sea fishermen, there is a saying on this score: “Not the one who found, hooked and pulled out the dragon is good, but the one who correctly removed it and prepared it for use.”

When lifting a sea dragon from a depth, when about half a meter remains to the surface of the water, it begins to vigorously try to get off the hook. Swallowing a little air, it calms down a little, but at the same time it spreads all its fins menacingly. This is where you need to concentrate to the maximum and concentrate all your attention on the fish.

To remove the sea dragon from the hook, any more or less experienced fisherman in the fishing box will always have a surgical clamp, pliers, a knife and scissors.

The process of unhooking itself is not difficult, but it requires, once again, attention so that a fluttering fish does not accidentally prick you in unprotected areas of the body. Usually I press the sea dragon with my foot through the rag to the side of the boat and drive the clamp into its mouth. Squeezing the clamp to failure, thereby firmly fixing the fish in his left hand, right hand I cut off all the spines of the first dorsal fin and two spikes on the gill covers with scissors, one on each side. Removed thorns and thorns must be thrown overboard, since the poison in the parts of the body of the fish amputated in this way remains valid for several days.

That's all the action. Fish in this form is ready for further safe transportation and direct cutting before eating it.

By the way, despite the fact that the sea dragon has poisonous glands, its meat is edible and very tasty in any form: fried, boiled, and especially if it is dried.

How to avoid sad consequences
A lot of passions go around this fish, stunning in its beauty, which occupies one of the first places in the ranking of poisonous fish in the Black Sea. AT various sources and from the words of local fishermen, I heard a lot about sad stories with sea dragons. Unfortunately, meetings with him, albeit fleeting, in case of failure to provide timely qualified medical care can lead to unpleasant consequences: tumors, vomiting, generic malaise and weakness, there were cases with a fatal outcome.

So that your favorite hobby does not turn into a nightmare, you should follow just a few elementary rules and precautions: firstly, before you go to places unknown to you, first familiarize yourself with their inhabitants; secondly, avoid any contact not only with the caught, but also with the dead sea dragon; thirdly, if you nevertheless inadvertently pricked with his needles, then try to suck the poison with your mouth along with the blood from the wound for ten minutes, not forgetting to quickly spit it out, and immediately take all measures to deliver the victim to the nearest medical facility.

The dragon scares everyone!
And finally, in order not to completely discourage you from sea fishing, I will tell you a funny sign associated with catching a sea dragon. The fact is that when this vicious predator is caught, all fishermen immediately tend to leave the place of fishing. Apparently, this is due to the fact that not only people, but also other inhabitants of the sea are afraid of the sea dragon, and therefore, in order not to once again risk their health and waste of time in a place where there is no fish, they make legs.