Fish of the Trachinus genus of the Trachinidae (weevers or weeverfish) family of the Trachiniformes order of the Percomorpha clade of the Acanthopterygii superorder.
(Spotted weever. Photo by © Stefano Guerrieri. naturamediterraneo.com)
Spotted weever (Trachinus araneus) was first described in 1829 by the French naturalist and zoologist Georges Cuvier (1769-1832).
It inhabits the depth of 1-100 meters. It dwells near a sandy bottom around underwater vegetation and separately lying stones. The maximum recorded length is 45 cm, specimens up to 30 cm long are more common. It feeds on crustaceans and small fish.
(Spotted weever. Photo by © Robert Patzner. fishbase.org)
It is a permanent inhabitant of the Adriatic Sea, it is more common in its southern part.
There are venom glands in the first dorsal fin and gill covers. When one pricks at the spines of the fin or gill covers, the venom, which acts both as a neurotoxin and as a haemotoxin, gets into the blood, causes swelling in the area of the prick, and can cause tissue necrosis as well. Afterward, symptoms of general intoxication, including headache, chest pains, irregular breathing, may occur. Limb paralysis and loss of speech may occur as well. The spines of the fin and gill covers of dead fish are as dangerous as those of live fish. Extremely careful handling is required!
The venom of weevers is thermolabile; heat treatment makes it disintegrate.
Names of spotted weever (Trachinus araneus) in other languages as follows:
Lojba me pika (Albanian), Gevlekte pieterman (Dutch), Αραχνοδράκαινα (Arachnodrakena) (Greek), Araña (Spanish), Tracina ragno (Italian), Mittelmeer-Petermännchen (German), Ostrosz sieklik (Polish), Peixe-aranha-pontuado (Portuguese), Средиземноморский морской дракон (Sredizemnomorskij morskoj drakon) (Russian), Pauk crni, Pauk crnac (Serbian, Croatian), Lisasti morski pajek (Slovenian), Kumtrakonyası balığı (Turkish), Vive araignée (French).