Scorpion (sea ruff) is a formidable inhabitant of the deep sea. What to do when a scorpion is pricked Where and when a scorpion comes across
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 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, the sea ruff is a very tasty fish, but you need to clean it carefully - the poison is preserved even in a scorpionfish that has lain in the refrigerator.
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 must observe the following measures 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 to poisonous fish by spiny spines should be aimed at relieving pain from the injury and poison, overcoming the action 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 of allergic reactions, as well as drinking plenty of water, preferably strong tea.
When injected with 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, but in the case of sea dragon, stargazer and stingray in the future, the fastest qualified medical assistance is needed.
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.
Description
The Black Sea scorpionfish (from lat. Scorpaena porcus) is a predatory fish that lives in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, as well as off the African and European coasts Atlantic Ocean. Sometimes it comes across in the Sea of Azov. The second name of the fish is " black sea ruff". The flattened head of the scorpion occupies one third of the body. The head has crimson bulging eyes and a huge mouth with thick lips that can easily swallow a whole crab, and powerful jaws. The head is armed with spikes and long, flap-like tentacles. The whole body is covered with tubercles, warts, rays and patches of skin, with the help of which the scorpionfish disguise itself as stones overgrown with vegetation. The dorsal fin of the Black Sea ruff has spiny rays, which are always straightened and raised up in the form of spines. The size of the fish reaches 40 cm in length, and the weight is about 1.5 kg. The Black Sea scorpionfish has venom glands located at the bases of the spiny rays of the dorsal, ventral, and anal fins. There are about 20 such rays, which serve as protection against predators for the scorpion fish, on the body of the fish. Also, the poison is found on the gill covers and in the bone spikes. Scorpio has interesting feature: she sheds regularly, and she sheds her old skin like a snake, “stocking”. Shedding can occur up to two times a month. The fish has a bizarre variegated color. Juveniles are light yellow or cream colored with reddish-brown spots and uneven vertical stripes. With age, the color darkens, dark brown with wide vertical blurry stripes. Sometimes there are pink, raspberry-yellow and black scorpions.
This predator eats small fish and crustaceans, lying in wait for them in ambush. The scorpionfish can hunt in complete darkness, because it has organs on its head and sides that help to catch water currents from a moving object. It lives in coastal strips, among stones and thickets of algae. The fish is inactive and not shy. AT warm time year (June-September) spawning of scorpionfish occurs, laying eggs in separate portions, enclosed in transparent mucous membranes. Before the larvae hatch, these mucous sacs burst and the eggs are released from the common shell. The emerging juveniles stay in the water column for a short time, and then move on to life at the bottom. Scorpio - nocturnal predator, so it is best to catch it after dark. Calm hours after the storm are optimal for fishing, as the fish are close to the shore in search of food.
Scorpion meat is used for food. The main thing is to be careful when cleaning this fish so as not to get hurt by its thorns. The fish has a high stickiness, therefore it is used to make jelly for jellied fish, fish soup. Ruffs can be fried, and also used as an additive when cooking fish soup from other fish, as they enhance the taste of fish broth. To keep the fish tender and juicy, dishes with liquid (gravy) should be prepared from it. Oven-baked or grilled scorpionfish become very dry. In Turkish cuisine, Black Sea scorpion fish soup is very popular and is considered a delicacy. The fish especially strongly absorbs the aromas of spicy plants growing on the rocks under which it lives: laurel, thyme and myrtle.
Composition, calories and beneficial features Black Sea scorpionfish
Despite its intimidating appearance, the scorpion fish is healthy and is considered one of the most delicious fish in the Black Sea. Its white, juicy and elastic meat is slightly sweet in taste. It is believed that the meat of this fish has a positive effect on male body. Rich in macro and microelements such as chromium, zinc, fluorine, nickel, molybdenum, as well as vitamin PP (nicotinic acid). Nicotinic acid is involved in the protein and carbohydrate metabolism of the body, helps to reduce cholesterol in the blood, activates the brain and central nervous system. Due to the presence of vitamin PP, scorpionfish dishes can prevent skin disease, which develops "rough skin" - pellagra.
The Black Sea scorpion belongs to the group of lean fish, such as hake, cod, flounder, tench, containing no more than 80-90 calories per 100 g of the finished product. Therefore, the meat of such fish is safely included in a low-calorie diet.
Contraindications: be careful, poisonous scorpionfish!
The scorpion has poisonous spines. The action of the poison is not fatal, but very unpleasant - like a wasp sting. Wounds from the thorns of this fish cause burning pain, the skin around the wound turns red and swells, general malaise and fever. An allergic reaction may begin, so an antihistamine (anti-allergic) drug should be taken immediately after the injection with thorns. Wounds should be treated like normal scratches. In any case, if the poison of this fish is affected, it is better to consult a doctor.
Most often, fishermen suffer from ruff thorns, pulling it out of the nets or removing it from the fishing hook. When cleaning the scorpion, care must also be taken so that the poison from the spines, bone spines and gill covers does not get into small wounds and cracks on the skin of the hands. The poison is preserved even in those fish that have had time to lie down in the refrigerator. The ruff must be decapitated and the dorsal fins removed, and only after that proceed with butchering the carcass.
Scorpio- predatory benthic sea fish scorpion family, leading sedentary life in the coastal strip of the Black Sea with depths up to 50 meters. For the resemblance to their freshwater counterparts, river ruffs, the scorpionfish got its second informal name - sea ruff. In addition to the double name, this fish is the bearer of several more mysteries of nature.
To commercial fish scorpion does not apply. It is usually caught by amateur fishermen, although it attracts them not so much with its size, but with the taste of the fish soup obtained from it.
Two species of this fish are found in the Black Sea: the Black Sea scorpionfish, reaching a length of 30 centimeters and a weight of 1 kilogram, and a noticeable scorpionfish - up to 15 centimeters with a mass of 200-300 grams. It is very difficult to distinguish them from each other, not everyone can immediately determine what kind of fish they have in their hands: a conspicuous scorpionfish that has reached full maturity or a young Black Sea scorpionfish?
The only acceptable sign for anglers to distinguish between the two species is the presence of a conspicuous characteristic large black spot on the dorsal fin. There is another sign: in the Black Sea scorpionfish, the supraorbital processes, similar to rag patches, are much longer than in the conspicuous scorpionfish. But this difference, in my opinion, is more within the competence of ichthyologists, because it is unlikely that any amateur will want to run around the boat with a ruler to establish the truth of what kind of fish he caught.
Where and when is the scorpionfish caught?
Catching scorpion fish from the shore, unlike catching it from a boat in the sea, does not involve high costs, special skills and efforts, which is why it is very popular with both boys and experienced ruffers.
The most convenient places are piers, piers, breakwaters, rocks, stone embankments or banks, especially where near these places there are large and small boulders on the bottom, overgrown with aquatic vegetation. Scorpionfish in such areas keep in crevices and in algae bushes, waiting and hunting from ambush for small fish and crustaceans (greenfinches, gobies, shrimps, crabs).
Caught on scorpion hooks all year round, but for a number of reasons, the main one being comfortable temperature, fishermen prefer to catch it in the summer. This fish is most active at night.
With a good bite, and it starts at sunset, you can sit all night long. I will tell you without too much modesty: last summer, after spending three hours fishing from ten in the evening until one in the morning, I caught about two dozen scorpions of various sizes on spinning and a sea circle.
Tackle for catching scorpion fish
The scorpion fish is not the type of fish that requires a lot of tinkering with gear to catch. Now there are many different gears, but I, based on my personal experience, I will share with you only two: spinning with the installation of bottom gear and a marine circle. In my opinion, they are the best for catching this predatory fish, are simple and easy to use and very effective.
Spinning
Installation of bottom gear:
light rod up to three meters long;
classic inertial coil "Nevskaya" or any reliable inertialess coil;
main fishing line with a diameter of 0.3-0.35 millimeters;
one bead;
carbine;
bid.
The bead must necessarily be larger in diameter than the circumference of the tulip, so that in the dark, when winding the fishing line, to prevent frequent hits of the bet in the rings. The stake is a fishing line with a diameter of 0.16-0.25 millimeters with hooks No. 5-9 located on it on two leashes 5-7 centimeters long and with a sinker at the end. The distance between the leashes is 15 centimeters.
Marine circle
The design is a metal ring with a diameter of 25 centimeters or a hoop bent from thick wire with small incisions previously made on it. The number of files depends on the number of leads and serves to fix them rigidly on the circumference. 4-5 leashes 15 centimeters long with hooks No. 5-9 are tied in a circle. A strong twine is attached directly to the ring. Line reserve is calculated based on the height of the structure above sea level from which you are fishing and the depth at the place of fishing.
Bait and bait when catching this fish are used extremely rarely. Although even the simplest bait in the form of crushed shells of mollusks such as mussels and rapana will collect scorpions from all over the area pretty quickly. Also cut into steaks is well suited as a bait. small fish, for example, horse mackerel.
Bait for scorpionfish
As nozzles, as a rule, boiled shrimp, squid meat, chicken and fish fillets are used. But still, scorpion fish, despite the large assortment of baits, most often prefers fresh shrimp or sliced freshly caught fish.
The voracity of the scorpionfish is amazing: it is not at all afraid of large pieces of meat or fish on hooks. Thanks to its huge mouth with a far forward lower jaw, it is able to grab and hold prey that is larger than it is.
Stories about insatiable sea ruffs are known everywhere. I heard one of these from a diver friend of mine. It turns out that during the next dive in one of the crevices of the underwater stone, he noticed a scorpionfish, in the throat of which a rulena stuck out, similar in size to it. Everything would be fine, well, I caught myself a fish for lunch, well, what's wrong with that. But it was not there! For another two days, my friend had to observe this picture, and only on the third day the ruff swallowed his victim and remained lying in the same crevice as if nothing had happened.
fishing technique
The technique of catching scorpion fish with tackle such as spinning with mounting and a sea circle is extremely simple. They catch with these tackles exclusively in a plumb line: in the first case, they lower the bet to the bottom, choose the slack and, having made a stretch, expect bites; in the second - lowering the ring on the twine to the bottom, leave the tackle for 15-20 minutes.
When fishing on spinning, the bite of a scorpionfish is felt as a series of short-term pulls, and then a significant jerk. The fisherman absolutely does not need to bother thinking about when the scorpion pecks at the circle, she eagerly takes the nozzle and rarely lets her go.
I want to draw your attention to the fact that when fishing on a spinning rod, delay in hooking can allow the scorpion fish to hide under a stone or in a crevice, and then a break in the rate is inevitable. As for the circle, you don’t have to worry about this, since the fish is self-securing, and the ring and short leashes will not allow it to go far into the stones and tightly hook the tackle.
Removing a scorpion fish from the water is quite simple, but once it is on the shore, the fisherman's troubles are just beginning. And here, more than ever, the well-known proverb comes in handy: “Take the ruff off the hook slowly.”
Safety precautions when removing the scorpionfish from the hook
The caught fish is released from the hook with great care so as not to prick on the poisonous spines. And she has not many and not few of them, but only one accidentally not noticed by you can cause unbearable pain. To prevent this from happening, I will bring you up to date, delving a little into ichthyology.
The poisonous apparatus of the scorpionfish is represented by poisonous glands located at the base of each ray of the anterior part of the dorsal fin, the first ray ventral fin and the first three anal rays. (see photo)
How many fishermen, there are so many ways to extract hooks from the mouth of a scorpionfish. Without entering into polemics with anyone about the originality of certain methods, I will describe only one, from my point of view, the safest.
Pressing the scorpion fish with the handle of the rod, I grab it with pliers or a surgical clamp by the lower lip and with scissors I cut everything that sticks out of it away from sin, and then, with a clear conscience, I take out the hook and throw it into the bucket.
How to avoid unwanted consequences
Scorpio is ranked ninth in the top 10 most dangerous representatives aquatic fauna in the world. Although not fatal, the injections of the scorpionfish are, admittedly, quite painful. As a rule, they cause pain shock, swelling and redness of the affected areas of the body. Sometimes there is profuse sweating and vomiting.
But there are exceptions. An interesting fact is that fishermen who once received injections of this fish develop some kind of immunity to their poison, as a result of which they are completely free from any reactions and symptoms in the future. Just don't misunderstand me: I am by no means encouraging you to harden yourself in this way, but, on the contrary, I want to warn you against conducting experiments of this kind.
In order not to be taken by surprise and avoid undesirable consequences when meeting with a scorpionfish, you will need knowledge of the simplest medical procedures for first aid. First, it is necessary to determine the injection site; the second is to carefully remove the fragments of the thorns; the third is to squeeze the wound and allow the blood to flow as long as possible; fourth - disinfect the wound by washing it sea water or hydrogen peroxide if you have one available.
The unique gastronomic qualities of scorpionfish
Concluding the conversation about scorpionfish, one cannot fail to mention the gastronomic properties and qualities of its meat. The meat of this fish is white, elastic and slightly sweet in taste. Scorpion is dried, fried, boiled, used in soups and aspic dishes - all traditional culinary methods are suitable.
And, of course, the legendary fish soup from the Black Sea scorpion fish, which, according to rumors, due to its unsurpassed palatability surpasses even the sterlet. And they say that their positive influence on the male body, scorpionfish meat makes you nervously smoke the famous Viagra on the sidelines.
So, dear fishermen, catching scorpionfish in the Black Sea, and then eating it is not only a pleasant pastime, but also good good health.
In the Black or Azov Sea you can find very interesting fish, which has an unusual and formidable appearance, reminiscent of the real Big bulging eyes covered with outgrowths, a hefty mouth with thick lips and many sharp teeth, rays of the dorsal fin, similar to real spines. This formidable depth is called - sea ruff, or in other words, scorpionfish.
Small but formidable predator
This monster belongs to big family scorpionfish - marine ray-finned fish - included in the order of scorpionfish and numbering more than 20 genera and 209 species. Representatives of this family live in the waters of tropical and temperate seas, but most of prefers the Indo-Pacific region. The genus Scorpion itself (sea ruff is a representative of the genus), numbering 62 species, is distributed in the waters of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and the seas belonging to their basins.
In our country, you can find two types of scorpionfish - the noticeable scorpionfish and the Black Sea scorpionfish (sea ruff). By the way, this is not the only place where this amazing fish. She was even seen in fresh water Shapsuho in the Caucasus, not to mention the Sea of Azov.
Scorpion is a relatively small fish, on average its size does not exceed 15-20 cm. Rare specimens reach a length of half a meter. In its way of life, the sea ruff belongs to predators. The basis of its diet is small fish, crustaceans, invertebrates. Since the sea ruff is very difficult to notice even from close range, he does not chase his prey, but lies motionless at the bottom and waits for the victim to approach him, after which he makes a short rapid throw.
Beware, scorpions!
The view of the sea ruff is indeed very formidable. The body of the scorpionfish has an oblong shape, somewhat compressed on the sides, covered with small rough scales, and a fin consisting of a number of sharp spines. Especially impressive is the large head, covered with numerous spines and outgrowths, as well as a large wide-lipped mouth. The color of the sea ruff is rather variegated: on a brown background, the shade of which can be very different, many dark spots and stripes are scattered. The same spots and stripes are found on the fins. A feature of the scorpionfish is that it molts periodically (on average - once a month). At the same time, the upper layer of skin is shed by a stocking (like in snakes), under which there is a new one - fresher and brighter.
At the base of the spikes that cover the body of the scorpionfish, there are channels in which the deadly poison is located. But the ruff uses its poisonous spines solely for defense purposes. If a thorn is stuck in the body, poison is injected into the wound, from which the injection site swells and begins to hurt very badly, as from a wasp sting. With numerous injuries, it is possible even fatal outcome(which happens very rarely). In this case, it is necessary to do everything possible so that the injection site bleeds as much as possible to prevent further ingress of poison into the body, treat this place with hot water and contact the medical institution, even if the pain began to gradually subside. By the way, when cleaning already caught fish, safety measures must also be observed.
Despite the menacing appearance, sea ruff, whose photo reminds of real monsters, is not just edible - its white and juicy meat is considered a real delicacy. From scorpion you can cook a lot delicious meals. Fish soup and ruff baked in foil are especially popular. Therefore, they often become a desirable prey for lovers of fishing or spearfishing, because, due to their inactivity, they allow them to swim very close to themselves.
There are fish in Anapa, with which it is better not to meet one on one in the sea, but it is advisable to try it fried in the resort's cafe. To such formidable representatives of the underwater flora Black Sea refers to the sea ruff or scorpionfish.
The scorpionfish lives in many southern and tropical countries where tourists like to relax. Our sea ruff is the most northern view scorpion lives in the Black Sea, loves coastal rocky places. The fish can be found on the High Coast, the beaches of Utrish and Sukko. The sea ruff has a reddish-brown coloration, for good camouflage in dense seaweed and rocks, and is about 15-20 centimeters in size. Lateral and dorsal poisonous fins sea ruff spreads when threatened. This species must be handled with care as you may suffer from an injection.
How to protect yourself from a scorpion sting
It is not as easy for a simple bather to step on a ruff as it might seem. Usually, when a person approaches, the scorpion swims away quickly. You need to be careful when the sea is rough and stormy, because. Ruff at this time is not so easy to notice the bathers. The main injuries occur when trying to get to know a person closely with Black Sea ruff. Fishermen, divers and divers who try to touch or unhook a scorpionfish stumble upon poisonous spikes.
What to do with an injection of the Black Sea ruff
If you are a victim of a scorpion stab, don't panic, no one has died from it yet. When injected, poison enters the body. The victim needs rest. The site of the wound, usually the heel or sole of the foot, should be dipped in hot water(temperature 45-50 degrees). You can take antiallergic drugs. Usually unpleasant symptoms disappear in one or two days.
How to cook ruff
Sea ruff is a delicacy, you can try it in fish. Very tasty fried fillet of sea ruff and ear.