Greater weever
📖 Overview
On sandy, muddy or gravelly bottoms, from a few meters to about 150 m. Rest on the bottom, often buried with eyes and tip of first dorsal fin exposed . At night they swim around freely, even pelagically . Feed on small invertebrates and fishes; chiefly nocturnal. Oviparous, eggs and larval stages pelagic . There are dark markings along the scales; the anterior dorsal fin is black and contains venomous spines. Utilized fresh and frozen; can be pan-fried, broiled, boiled and baked . Spawning takes place in June and August, pelagic eggs are 1 mm . Also Ref. 57406.
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Body elongate, length more than 6 times height. Greenish in upper parts, yellowish-white oblique stripes. Small 2-3 spines in front of each eye .: elongated.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Greater weever is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
🥚 Reproduction
Oviparous, eggs and larvae are pelagic .
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; demersal; depth range 1 - 150 m , usually 1 - 30 m . Temperate; 66°N - 27°N, 19°W - 42°E
🌿 Ecology
small invertebrates and fishes; chiefly nocturnal
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
⚠️ Venom Profile
- severe immediate pain
- oedema
- occasional systemic effects
Analgesia and wound care.
References: Compiled from Bhide (2018), Halstead et al. (1988) and family-specific envenomation literature
🎣 Angling Guide
- medium-heavy 7ft spinning rod
- 30-50 lb braid
- fluorocarbon leader
- grass flats
- oyster bars
- marsh drains
- deeper channel edges
Use barbless hooks, minimise air exposure, and revive fish head-first in current before release.
⚠️ Slot limits protect breeding-size fish. Verify daily bag limits.
📊 Population Dynamics
| Year | Region | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Echiichthys draco | Linnaeus | 1758 | Synonym |
| Trachinus lineatus | Bloch & Schneider | 1801 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 54 records indexed .
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