Weever fish

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Bacton tide

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weever2Let’s have a closer look at this weever fish and find out what the fuss is.

This is what the Encyclopaedia Britannica has to say about weevers:

 Any of four species of small marine fishes of the family Trachinidae (order Perciformes). Weevers are long-bodied fishes that habitually bury themselves in the sand. They have large, upwardly slanted mouths and eyes near the top of the head. There is a sharp spine on each gill cover; these spines, like those of the first dorsal fin, are associated with venom glands and can produce very painful woundsMore weever.

Three species of weevers are found in the Old World, and one in the New World, along the Chilean coast. Well-known species include the greater and lesser weevers (Trachinus draco and T. vipera), of both Europe and the Mediterranean.
Retrieved July 24, 2007, from Encyclopędia Britannica Online Library Edition: http://library.eb.co.uk/eb/article-9076420

I think we can safely say that this was a weever.

How dangerous?  Well the Encyclopaedia continues:

A few of the perciforms are known to be harmful to man.  Perciforms possessing venom glands are also considered dangerous fishes. The dorsal spine of the weever fishes (Trachinidae) has a grooved structure containing a venom gland; in addition, there is also a stinger located on the opercular (gill cover) structure. Both the stinger and the dorsal spine can be extremely painful if stepped on in shallow waters. Similar venom-bearing structures are found in the dragonets.

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