Dangerous inhabitants of the Mediterranean. Dangerous marine life in the Turkish Mediterranean

Foreword

Thinking about this site, I supposed to limit myself to one circular panoramas, photos were added by themselves, then creepy and terrible inhabitants of the Mediterranean surfaced from the depths of the sea.

Upon closer examination, the monsters turned out to be some kind of third-rate, suitable only for frightening small children with them. In a word, our sea is clearly not up to the Maldives with their abundance of all sorts of poisonous tropical reptiles. Nevertheless, I read what was written and was horrified. It turns out that the gentle and warm Mediterranean Sea is simply teeming with all sorts of creatures ready to cling to the tender, defenseless body of a swimmer, tear out a piece of meat from it, poison it, or, at worst, just sting it painfully.

However, in 15 years of adventure and snorkeling, the biggest trouble that happened to us was hopelessly damaged swimming trunks, on which a frightened octopus pulled out of the water “spit” with ink.

The main principle for anyone who wants to dive into the depths of the sea is simple and unpretentious, like a rake: "If you don't know, don't touch". The more dangerous the living creature and the more trouble it can cause to the bather, the more carelessly it behaves and lets it get closer to itself, naively believing that everyone around is well aware of its bad temper and will not touch it.

If you're going to swim wild stone beaches, then it would be nice to add to the main principle "do not touch anything" special slippers, then no sea urchin is scary.

The holiday package will not be complete if you forget at home sunglasses And sun cream. Glasses must block more than just the visible spectrum solar radiation, but the most important thing is to block ultraviolet radiation to avoid corneal burns. Sunglasses in Cyprus, even in winter, will not be superfluous. You can save a cream with a protective factor SPF 5, 10, 15 for middle lane Russia, the rainy Baltic or foggy Albion. The Cypriot thermonuclear sun requires reliable protection. If you have not forgotten any of the above, then you will be happy in the form have a nice rest and good memories.

Seaweed can be a source of discomfort. Being a fan of snorkelling and flippers in the crystal clear waters of Protaras, a couple of times I got out onto the steep stone shore, I sat down on soft algae growing in the surf to take off my flippers. The consequences made me remember the old advice: "to make the bust lush, stick it in the beehive." A beehive, not a beehive, but there was a very persistent feeling that I had sat in the nettle bushes. The stung place then itched terribly, which added spice to the situation. Probably, in such cases, the use of fenistil-gel, or any other allergy cream, can be recommended.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a camera for shooting underwater, so I had to be content with pictures found on the Internet. All the photos indicate which site I stole them from.

Let's start with a thunderstorm of the seas - sharks, rightfully considered the most terrible inhabitant of the Mediterranean Sea.

Unfortunately or fortunately, the state of affairs at the moment is such that it is not about meeting with dangerous predator, but that sharks living in the Mediterranean Sea are threatened with imminent and complete extinction. But still, what is the probability of meeting with a shark on the beaches of Cyprus?

Fireworms look very picturesque: their body consists of many segments of a bright orange-red color. In each segment there is a bunch of beautiful and fluffy-looking white bristles. Many worms reach a solid size of 30-40 cm.

Jellyfish off the coast of Cyprus are quite rare, unlike the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Malta, Israel, which is teeming with jellyfish. But this does not mean that contact with jellyfish is completely excluded. The warming of the climate in general and the water in the sea in particular contributes to an increase in the number of these dangerous marine life in the Mediterranean. The jellyfish on the left was photographed off the coast of Spain.

Sea urchins cause problems for vacationers on the beaches of Cyprus, perhaps more than all other dangerous inhabitants of the Mediterranean Sea. Encounters with sea urchins, backfiring on both sides, are unfortunately not uncommon. The Mediterranean Sea with salty and warm water is just a paradise for hedgehogs. They often form large clusters on sloping stone surfaces, starting from the very shallow water near the shore. A careless bather, climbing ashore or walking along the rocks along the water's edge, runs the risk of stepping on, or even grabbing a sea urchin with his hand. But there are no poisonous sea urchins in Cyprus.

Anemones belong to the order of sea cnidarians. Anemones are quite widespread along the entire coast, growing either singly or in colonies. Most of all, they look like harmless grass, only more fleshy. Often anemones settle in whole colonies in the surf, withstanding both the onslaught of waves during high tides and low tides.

Moray eels and their closest relatives eels have a long snake-like body. Here they can be really dangerous if you try to catch or feed them. Moray eels do not attack first, but when alarmed, they can become very aggressive. The mouth, equipped with large, sharp, inward-curving teeth, does not raise any doubt about the danger of such a weapon. Despite the absence of poison, their bites are very painful and do not heal for a long time: infections on the teeth of this cute fish are more than enough.

For those who choose the beaches of Cyprus for themselves summer holiday, I will say right away: the rabbit fish does not pose any danger. It does not burrow into the sand like a scorpionfish. It does not attack a person, so it is with him in different weight categories, and it is found quite far from the coast. This story is more for those who are going to sea fishing.

Scary stories for the night

Foreword

If you're going to swim wild stone beaches, then it would be nice to add to the main principle "do not touch anything" special slippers, then no sea urchin is scary.

The holiday package will not be complete if you forget at home sunglasses And sun cream. Glasses should block not only the visible spectrum of solar radiation, but most importantly - block ultraviolet radiation in order to avoid corneal burns. Sunglasses in Cyprus, even in winter, will not be superfluous. You can save a cream with a protective factor SPF 5, 10, 15 for central Russia, the rainy Baltic states or foggy Albion. The Cypriot thermonuclear sun requires reliable protection. If you have not forgotten any of the above, then you will be happy in the form of a good rest and pleasant memories.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a camera for shooting underwater, so I had to be content with pictures found on the Internet. All the photos indicate which site I stole them from.

Let's start with a thunderstorm of the seas - sharks, rightfully considered the most terrible inhabitant of the Mediterranean Sea.

Unfortunately or fortunately, the state of affairs at the moment is such that we should not worry about meeting with a dangerous predator, but that the sharks living in the Mediterranean Sea are threatened with imminent and complete extinction. But still, what is the probability of meeting with a shark on the beaches of Cyprus?

For those who choose the beaches of Cyprus for their summer holidays, I will say right away: the rabbit fish does not pose any danger. It does not burrow into the sand like a scorpionfish. It does not attack a person, so it is with him in different weight categories, and it is found quite far from the coast. This story is more for those who are going to sea fishing.

Original taken from billfish561 in Beautiful, but dangerous inhabitants of the seas and oceans.

A lot of creatures live in sea and ocean waters, meeting with which can cause trouble to a person in the form of injury or even lead to disability or death.

Here I tried to describe the most common inhabitants of the sea, which should be wary of meeting in the water, relaxing and swimming on the beach of some resort or diving.
If you ask any person "... What is the most dangerous inhabitant of the seas and oceans?", then almost always we will hear the answer "... shark.... But is it so? Who is more dangerous, a shark or a seemingly harmless shell?

moray eels

Reaches a length of 3 m and weight - up to 10 kg, but as a rule, individuals are found about a meter long. The skin of the fish is naked, without scales. They are found in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, are widespread in the Mediterranean and Red Seas. Moray eels live in the bottom layer of water, one might say at the bottom. During the day, moray eels sit in crevices of rocks or corals, sticking their heads out and usually moving them from side to side, looking out for passing prey, at night they get out of their shelters to hunt. Usually moray eels feed on fish, but they attack both crustaceans and octopuses, which are caught from ambush.

Moray eel meat after processing can be eaten. It was especially valued by the ancient Romans.

Moray eels are potentially dangerous to humans. A diver who has become a victim of a moray eel attack always somehow provokes this attack - sticks his hand or foot into the crevice where the moray eel is hiding, or pursues it. The moray eel, attacking a person, inflicts a wound that looks like a barracuda bite mark, but unlike the barracuda, the moray eel does not immediately swim away, but hangs on its victim, like a bulldog. She can cling to the arm with a bulldog death grip, from which the diver cannot be freed, and then he may die.

It is not poisonous, but since moray eels do not disdain carrion, the wounds are very painful, do not heal for a long time and often become inflamed. Hiding among underwater rocks and coral reefs in crevices and caves.

When moray eels begin to feel hungry, they jump out of their shelters with an arrow and grab a victim floating by. Very voracious. Very strong jaws and sharp teeth.

In appearance, moray eels are not very pretty. But they do not attack scuba divers, as some believe, they do not differ in aggressiveness. Isolated cases occur only when moray eels mating season. If a moray eel mistook a person for a source of food or he invaded its territory, then nevertheless it could attack.

barracudas

All barracuda live in tropical and subtropical waters of the oceans near the surface. There are 8 species in the Red Sea, including the great barracuda. There are not so many species in the Mediterranean Sea - only 4, of which 2 moved there from the Red Sea through the Suez Canal. The so-called "malita", which has settled in the Mediterranean Sea, provides the bulk of the entire Israeli catch of barracudas. The most sinister feature of barracudas is the powerful lower jaw, which protrudes far beyond the upper one. The jaws are equipped with formidable teeth: a row of small, razor-sharp teeth dot the jaw on the outside, and inside there is a row of large dagger-like teeth.

The maximum recorded size of a barracuda is 200 cm, weight - 50 kg, but usually the length of a barracuda does not exceed 1-2 m.

She is aggressive and fast. Barracudas are also called "live torpedoes" because they attack their prey with great speed.

Despite such a formidable name and ferocious appearance, these predators are practically harmless to humans. It should be remembered that all attacks on people happened in muddy or dark water, where the moving arms or legs of the swimmer were taken by the barracuda for swimming fish. (It was in this situation that the author of the blog got into in February 2014, when he was vacationing in Egypt, the Oriental Bay Resort Marsa Alam 4 + * (now called Aurora Oriental Bay Marsa Alam Resort 5*) Marsa Gabel el Rosas Bay . Medium-sized barracuda, 60-70 cm, almost bit off the 1st f alangu index finger on the right hand. A piece of a finger dangled on a 5mm piece of skin (dive gloves saved from complete amputation). At the Marsa Alam clinic, the surgeon put 4 stitches and saved the finger, but the rest was completely ruined ). In Cuba, the reason for attacking a person was shiny objects such as watches, jewelry, knives. It will not be superfluous if the shiny parts of the equipment are painted in a dark color.

The sharp teeth of the barracuda can damage the arteries and veins of the limbs; in this case, the bleeding must be stopped immediately, since the loss of blood can be significant. In the Antilles, barracudas are more feared than sharks.

Jellyfish

Every year, millions of people are exposed to "burns" from contact with jellyfish while swimming.

There are no especially dangerous jellyfish in the waters of the seas washing the Russian coast, the main thing is to prevent contact of these jellyfish with mucous membranes. In the Black Sea, it is easiest to meet such jellyfish as Aurelia and Cornerot. They are not very dangerous, and their "burns" are not very strong.

Aurelia "butterflies" (Aurelia aurita)

Medusa Cornerot (Rhizostoma pulmo)

Only in the Far Eastern seas lives enough dangerous for humans jellyfish "cross", the poison of which can even lead to the death of a person. This small jellyfish with a pattern in the form of a cross on an umbrella causes severe burns at the point of contact with it, and after a while causes other disorders in the human body - difficulty breathing, numbness of the limbs.

Jellyfish-cross (Gonionemus vertens)

the consequences of the burn of the jellyfish-cross

The farther south, the more dangerous the jellyfish. In coastal waters canary islands careless bathers are waiting for a pirate - "Portuguese boat" - very beautiful jellyfish with red crest and multi-colour bubble sail.

portuguese boat (Physalia physalis)

The "Portuguese boat" looks so harmless and beautiful in the sea ...

And so, the leg looks like after contact with the "Portuguese boat" ....

Many jellyfish live in the coastal waters of Thailand.

But the real scourge for bathers is the Australian "sea wasp". She kills with a light touch of multi-meter tentacles, which, by the way, can wander on their own without losing their deadly qualities. You can pay for your acquaintance with the "sea wasp" in best case severe "burns" and lacerations, at worst - life. From the jellyfish "sea wasp" died more people than from sharks. This jellyfish lives in the warm waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, especially numerous off the coast of Northern Australia. The diameter of her umbrella is only 20-25 mm, but the tentacles reach a length of 7-8 m and they contain poison, similar in composition to cobra venom, but much stronger. A person touched by a "sea wasp" with its tentacles usually dies within 5 minutes.

Australian cubic (box) jellyfish or "sea wasp" (Chironex fleckeri)

sting from jellyfish "sea wasp"

Aggressive jellyfish also live in the Mediterranean and other waters of the Atlantic - the "burns" caused by them are stronger than the "burns" of the Black Sea jellyfish, and they cause allergic reactions more often. These include cyanide ("hairy jellyfish"), pelagia ("little lilac sting"), chrysaora (" sea nettle") and some others.

jellyfish Atlantic cyanide (Cyanea capillata)

Pelagia (Noctiluca), known in Europe under the name "purple sting"

Pacific sea nettle (Chrysaora fuscescens)

Medusa "Compass" (coronatae)
Jellyfish "Compass" have chosen their place of residence coastal waters the Mediterranean Sea and one of the oceans - the Atlantic. They live off the coast of Turkey and the United Kingdom. This is enough large jellyfish, their diameter reaches thirty centimeters. They have twenty-four tentacles, which are arranged in groups of three each. The color of the body is yellowish-white with a brown tint, and its shape resembles a saucer-bell, in which thirty-two lobes are defined, which are colored brown along the edges.
The upper surface of the bell has sixteen V-shaped brown rays. The lower part of the bell is the location of the mouth opening, surrounded by four tentacles. These jellyfish are poisonous. Their venom is potent and often results in wounds that are very painful and take a long time to heal..
And yet the most dangerous jellyfish live in Australia and its adjacent waters. Burns of box jellyfish and "Portuguese man-of-war" are very serious and often fatal.

stingrays

Trouble can be delivered by rays of the stingray family and electric rays. It should be noted that the stingrays themselves do not attack a person, you can get injured if you step on him when this fish is hiding at the bottom.

stingray "stingray" (Dasyatidae)

Electric Stingray (torpediniformes)

Stingrays live in almost all seas and oceans. In our (Russian) waters you can meet a stingray or otherwise it is called a sea cat. It is found in the Black Sea and in the seas of the Pacific coast. If you step on a slope buried in the sand or resting at the bottom, it can inflict a serious wound on the offender, and, in addition, inject poison into it. He has a thorn on his tail, or rather a real sword - up to 20 centimeters in length. 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 wound. A stingray wound is treated like any other.

The sea fox stingray Raja clavata also lives in the Black Sea - large, it can be up to one and a half meters from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail, it is not dangerous for humans - unless, of course, you try to grab it by the tail, covered with long sharp spines. Electric rays are not found in the waters of the seas of Russia.

Sea anemones (anemones)

Sea anemones inhabit almost all seas the globe, but like the rest coral polyps, they are especially numerous and diverse in warm waters. Most species live in shallow coastal waters, but are often found on maximum depths World Ocean. Sea anemones Usually, hungry sea anemones sit completely still, with tentacles widely spaced. At the slightest change in the water, the tentacles begin to oscillate, not only they stretch out to prey, but often the whole body of the sea anemone leans. Having grasped the prey, the tentacles contract and bend towards the mouth.

Anemones are well armed. The stinging cells are especially numerous in predatory species. A volley of fired stinging cells kills small organisms, often causing severe burns in larger animals, even humans. They can cause burns, just like some types of jellyfish.

Octopuses

Octopuses (Octopoda) are the most famous representatives of cephalopods. "Typical" octopuses are representatives of the suborder Incirrina, demersal animals. But some representatives of this suborder and all species of the second suborder, Cirrina, are pelagic animals that live in the water column, and many of them are found only at great depths.

They live in all tropical and subtropical seas and oceans, from shallow water to a depth of 100-150 m. They prefer rocky coastal zones, looking for caves and crevices in the rocks. In the waters of the seas of Russia they live only in the Pacific region.

The common octopus has the ability to change color, adapting to environment. This is due to the presence in his skin of cells with various pigments, capable of stretching or contracting under the influence of impulses from the central nervous system, depending on the perception of the sense organs. The usual color is brown. If the octopus is scared, it turns white, if angry, it turns red.

When approaching enemies (including divers or scuba divers), they flee, hiding in crevices of rocks and under stones.

The real danger is the bite of an octopus with careless handling. The secret of poisonous salivary glands. In this case, acute pain and itching are felt in the area of the bite.
When bitten by an ordinary octopus, a local inflammatory reaction occurs. Excessive bleeding indicates a slowdown in the clotting process. Usually after two or three days recovery occurs. However, cases of severe poisoning are known, in which symptoms of damage to the central nervous system occur. Wounds inflicted by octopuses are treated in the same way as injections from poisonous fish.

blue-ringed octopus (Blue-ringed Octopus)

One of the contenders for the title of the most dangerous marine animal for humans is the octopus Octopus maculosus, which is found along the coast of the Australian province of Queensland and near Sydney, is found in the Indian Ocean and, sometimes, in the Far East. Although the size of this octopus rarely exceeds 10 cm, it contains enough poison to kill ten people.

Lionfish

Lionfish (Pterois) of the Scorpaenidae family are of great danger to humans. They are easily recognizable by their rich and bright colors, which warns of effective means defenses of these fish. Even marine predators prefer to leave this fish alone. The fins of this fish look like brightly colored feathers. Physical contact with such fish can be fatal.

Lionfish (Pterois)

Despite its name, it cannot fly. The fish got this nickname because of the large pectoral fins, a bit like wings. Other names for lionfish are zebra fish or lion fish. She got the first because of the wide gray, brown and red stripes located throughout the body, and the second - she owes long fins, which make her look like a predatory lion.

The lionfish belongs to the scorpion family. Body length reaches 30 cm, and weight - 1 kg. The coloration is bright, which makes the lionfish noticeable even at great depths. The main decoration of the lionfish is the long ribbons of the dorsal and pectoral fins, it is they that resemble lion's mane. These luxurious fins hide sharp poisonous needles that make the lionfish one of the most dangerous inhabitants of the seas.

The lionfish is widespread in the tropical parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans off the coast of China, Japan and Australia. It lives mainly among coral reefs. lionfish Since it lives in the surface waters of the reef, it therefore poses a great danger to bathers who can step on it and injure themselves on sharp poisonous needles. The excruciating pain that occurs in this case is accompanied by the formation of a tumor, breathing becomes difficult, and in some cases, the injury leads to death.

The fish itself is very voracious and eats all kinds of crustaceans and small fish during night hunting. The most dangerous are pufferfish, boxfish, sea Dragon, hedgehog fish, ball fish, etc. We must remember only one rule: the more colorful the coloring of the fish and the more unusual its shape, the more poisonous it is.

stellate pufferfish (Tetraodontidae)

Cube body or box fish (Ostraction cubicus)

hedgehog fish (Diodontidae)

fish ball (Diodontidae)

In the Black Sea, there are relatives of the lionfish - the 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, similar to rag patches, supraorbital tentacles. In the conspicuous scorpion, these outgrowths are short.

conspicuous scorpionfish (Scorpaena notata)

black sea scorpionfish (Scorpaena porcus)

The body of these fish is covered with spikes and outgrowths, the spikes are covered with poisonous mucus. And although the poison of the scorpionfish is not as dangerous as the poison of the lionfish, it is better not to disturb it.

Among the dangerous Black Sea fish of note is the sea dragon (Trachinus draco). Elongated, snake-like, with an angular big head, bottom fish. Like other bottom predators, the dragon has bulging eyes on the top of its head and a huge, greedy mouth.

sea dragon (Trachinus draco)

The consequences of a poisonous injection of a dragon are much more serious than in the case of a scorpionfish, but not fatal.

Wounds from the thorns of a scorpion or dragon 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. If you have suffered from the thorns of a ruff, consult a doctor. Wounds should be treated like normal scratches.

The "stone fish" or Wartyfish (Synanceia verrucosa) also belongs to the scorpion family - no less, and in some cases more dangerous than lionfish.

"fish stone" or warty (Synanceia verrucosa)

sea urchins

Often in shallow waters there is a risk of stepping on a sea urchin.

Sea urchins are one of the most common and very dangerous inhabitants of coral reefs. The body of a hedgehog the size of an apple is studded with 30-centimeter needles sticking out in all directions, similar to knitting needles. They are very mobile, sensitive and instantly react to irritation.

If a shadow suddenly falls on the hedgehog, he immediately directs the needles in the direction of danger and puts them together in several pieces into a sharp, hard pike. Even gloves and wetsuits do not guarantee complete protection against the formidable peaks of the sea urchin. The needles are so sharp and fragile that, having penetrated deep into the skin, they immediately break off and it is extremely difficult to remove them from the wound. In addition to needles, hedgehogs are armed with small grasping organs - pedicillaria, scattered at the base of the needles.

The venom of sea urchins is not dangerous, but causes burning pain at the injection site, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, transient paralysis. And soon redness, swelling appear, sometimes there is a loss of sensitivity and a secondary infection. The wound must be cleaned of needles, disinfected, to neutralize the poison, hold the damaged part of the body in very hot water for 30-90 minutes or apply a pressure bandage.

After meeting with a black "long-spined" sea urchin, black dots may remain on the skin - this is a trace of pigment, it is harmless, but it can make it difficult to find needles stuck in you. Seek medical advice after first aid.

Shells (clams)

Often on the reef among the corals there are wavy wings of bright blue.

clam tridacna (Tridacna gigas)

According to some reports, divers sometimes fall between its wings, like in a trap, which leads to their death. The danger of tridacna, however, is greatly exaggerated. These mollusks live in shallow reef areas in clear tropical waters, so they are easy to spot due to their large size, brightly colored mantle, and ability to splash water at low tide. A diver captured by a shell can easily free himself, you just need to stick a knife between the valves and cut the two muscles that compress the valves.

Poison Clam Cone (Conidae)
Do not touch beautiful shells (especially large ones). Here it is worth remembering one rule: all mollusks that have a long, thin and pointed ovipositor are poisonous. These are representatives of the cone genus of the gastropod class, having a brightly colored conical shell. Its length in most species does not exceed 15-20 cm. The cone inflicts a prick as sharp as a needle with a spike that protrudes from the narrow end of the shell. Inside the spike passes the duct of the poisonous gland, through which a very strong poison is injected into the wound.

Various species of the cone genus are common in coastal shallows and coral reefs warm seas.

At the moment of injection, a sharp pain is felt. At the injection site of the spike, a reddish dot is visible against the background of pale skin.

Local inflammatory reaction is insignificant. There is a feeling of acute pain or burning, numbness of the affected limb may occur. In severe cases, there is difficulty in speech, flaccid paralysis quickly develops, and knee jerks disappear. In a few hours, death may occur.

With mild poisoning, all symptoms disappear within a day.

First aid is to remove fragments of the thorn from the skin. The affected area is wiped with alcohol. The affected limb is immobilized. The patient in the supine position is taken to the medical center.

corals

Corals, both living and dead, can cause painful cuts (be careful when walking on coral islands). And the so-called "fire" corals are armed with poisonous needles that dig into the human body in case of physical contact with them.

The basis of the coral is polyps - marine invertebrates 1-1.5 mm in size or slightly larger (depending on the species).

Barely born, the baby polyp begins to build a cell house, in which he spends his entire life. Microhouses of polyps are grouped into colonies from which a coral reef eventually appears.

Hungry, the polyp sticks out tentacles with many stinging cells from the "house". The smallest animals that make up plankton encounter the tentacles of a polyp, which paralyzes the victim and sends it into the mouth opening. Despite their microscopic size, the stinging cells of polyps have a very complex structure. Inside the cell is a capsule filled with poison. The outer end of the capsule is concave and looks like a thin tube twisted in a spiral, which is called a stinging thread. This tube, covered with the smallest spikes pointing backwards, resembles a miniature harpoon. When touched, the stinging thread straightens, the "harpoon" pierces the body of the victim, and the poison passing through it paralyzes the prey.

Poisoned "harpoons" of corals can also injure a person. Among the dangerous ones is, for example, fire coral. Its colonies in the form of "trees" made of thin plates have chosen the shallow waters of tropical seas.

The most dangerous stinging corals of the Millepore genus are so beautiful that scuba divers cannot resist the temptation to break off a piece as a keepsake. This can be done without "burns" and cuts only in canvas or leather gloves.

fire coral (Millepora dichotoma)

Talking about such passive animals as coral polyps, it is worth mentioning another interesting type of marine animals - sponges. Usually sponges are not classified as dangerous inhabitants of the sea, however, in the waters of the Caribbean there are some species that can cause severe skin irritation in a swimmer upon contact with them. It is believed that the pain can be relieved with a weak solution of vinegar, but the unpleasant effects from contact with the sponge can last for several days. These primitive animals belong to the genus Fibula and are often referred to as touchy sponges.

Sea snakes (Hydrophidae)

Little is known about sea snakes. This is strange, since they live in all the seas of the Pacific and Indian Oceans and are not among the rare inhabitants of the deep sea. Maybe it's because people just don't want to deal with them.

And there are serious reasons for this. After all, sea snakes are dangerous and unpredictable.

There are about 48 species of sea snakes. This family once left the land and completely switched to an aquatic lifestyle. Because of this, sea snakes have acquired some features in the structure of the body, and outwardly they are somewhat different from their terrestrial counterparts. The body is flattened from the sides, the tail is in the form of a flat ribbon (for flat-tailed representatives) or slightly elongated (for dovetails). The nostrils are not located on the sides, but at the top, so it is more convenient for them to breathe, sticking the tip of the muzzle out of the water. The lung stretches throughout the body, but these snakes absorb up to a third of all oxygen from the water with the help of the skin, which is densely penetrated by blood capillaries. Under water, a sea snake can stay for more than an hour.

The venom of a sea snake is dangerous to humans. Their venom is dominated by an enzyme that paralyzes nervous system. When attacking, the snake quickly strikes with two short teeth, slightly bent back. The bite is almost painless, there is no swelling or hemorrhage.

But after some time, weakness appears, coordination is disturbed, convulsions begin. Death occurs from paralysis of the lungs in a few hours.

The high toxicity of the venom of these snakes is a direct result of aquatic habitation: in order for the prey not to run away, it must be instantly paralyzed. True, the poison of sea snakes is not as dangerous as the poison of snakes that live with us on land. When bitten by flattails, 1 mg of poison is released, and when bitten by a dovetail, 16 mg. So, a person has a chance to survive. Out of 10 bitten sea snakes 7 people remain alive, of course, if they receive medical assistance on time.

True, there is no guarantee that you will be among the latter.

Among other dangerous aquatic animals, especially dangerous freshwater inhabitants should be mentioned - crocodiles that live in the tropics and subtropics, piranha fish that live in the Amazon River basin, freshwater electric rays, as well as fish whose meat or some organs are poisonous and can cause acute poisoning.

If you are interested in more detailed information about dangerous species of jellyfish and corals, you can find it at http://medusy.ru/

Ahnelt, H., : Some rare fishes from the western Mediterranean Sea. Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien v. 92(B): 49-58.
Almada, F., V. C. Almada, T. Gullemaud i P. Wirtz, : Phylogenetic relationships of the north-eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean blenniids. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society v. 86:283-295.
Ben-Tuvia, A., : Mediterranean fishes of Israel. Bulletin of the Sea Fisheries Research Station Haifa No. 8:1-40.
Ben-Tuvia, A. i G. W. Kissil, : Fishes of the family in the Red Sea, with a key to the species in the Red Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean. Ichthyological Bulletin of the J. L. B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology Núm. 52:1-16.
De Buen F. Resultado de las campañas realizadas por acuerdos internacionales. Num. 2:1-221.
Ege, V. : Contributions to the knowledge of the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean species of the genus paralepis cuv. A systematic and biological investigation. Rep. Danish Oceanogr. Exped. 1908-1910v. 2 A (num. 13): 1-201.
Giglioli, E. H., : New and very rare fish from the Mediterranean. Nature (Londres) v. 25 (num. 649): 535.
Giglioli, E. H., : New deep-sea fish from the Mediterranean. Nature (Londres) v. 27:198-199.
Giglioli, E. H. i A. Issel, : Pelagos. Saggi sulla vita e sui prodotti del mare. Esplorazione talassografica del Mediterraneo. pp. 198-270. Istituto de "Sordo-muti, Gènova. Pelagos. Saggi sulla vita e sui prodotti del mare. Esplorazione talassografica del Mediterraneo.
Giglioli, E. H., : On a supposed new genus and species of pelagic gadoid fishes from the Mediterranean. Proceedings of the General Meetings for Scientific Business of the Zoological Society of London, (pt 3): 328-332, Pl. 34.
Golani, D. i A. Ben-Tuvia, : New records of fishes from the Mediterranean coast of Israel including Red Sea immigrants. Cybium v. 10 (num. 3): 285-291.
Golani, D., : Distribution of Lessepsian migrant fish in the Mediterranean. Italian Journal of Zoology v. 65 (suppl.): 95-99.
Goren, M. i B. S. Galil, : New records of deep-sea fishes from the Levant Basin and a note on the deep-sea fishes of the Mediterranean. Israel Journal of Zoology v. 43 (num. 2): 197-203.
Heemstra, P. C. i D. Golani, : Clarification of the Indo-Pacific groupers ( Pisces: Serranidae) in the Mediterranean Sea. Israel Journal of Zoology v. 39:381-390.
Hureau, J.-C. i T. Monod, : Check-list of the fishes of the north-eastern Atlantic and of the Mediterranean. CLOFNAM. UNESCO : v. 1: i-xxii + 1-683.
Jespersen, P. i A. V. Tåning, : Mediterranean Sternoptychidae. Report on the Danish Oceanographical Expeditions - to the Mediterranean and adjacent seas. A. 12. Rep. Danish Oceanogr. Exped. -v. 2 (Biology): 1-59.
Kaya, M. i M. Bilecenoglu, : New records of deep-sea fishes from Turkish seas and the eastern Mediterranean. Questions Ikhtiologii v. 40 (num. 4): 566-570.
Klausewitz, W., : Deepsea and deep water fish of the eastern Mediterranean, collected during the METEOR-expedition . Senckenbergiana Maritima v. 20 (num. 5/6): 251-263.
Matallanas, J., : On the Mediterranean and some north-eastern Atlantic Liparidae (Pisces: Scorpaeniformes) with the restoration of Eutelichthys. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom v. 80:935-939.
Mazhar, F. M. M.,

Many of our compatriots love to relax on the Mediterranean coast, in Greece, Italy, Croatia, Spain, Montenegro, Cyprus, Sardinia and other wonderful places where there is a lot of sun, sea, and beautiful landscapes.

But few tourists suspect what troubles I can expect in the waters of this warm, gentle and seemingly safe sea. However, this is far from being the case, and it is quite possible to turn such a long-awaited and pleasant rest into unpleasant painful torment if you do not know what troubles you can encounter in the waters of this sea. After all, a fauna that is very dangerous for humans exists and thrives in it, capable of not only undermining his health, but also in some cases leading to lethal outcome. dangerous fauna mediterranean sea , can wait for you on the beach, while diving or fishing. But if a person knows where to expect danger from and who can be its carrier, the chances of getting into an unpleasant situation are significantly reduced.

fireworm

It has a very picturesque appearance, the body of this creature consists of a large number segments having a bright orange-red color. Each segment has a certain number of setae. The length of the fire worm is 30-40 cm. If you disturb the worm, it releases its bristles that dig into your body, and you get a burn similar to a nettle burn.

These creatures are very slow and do not attack anyone first. There are quite a lot of them on the beaches, especially wild ones. Therefore, it is not recommended to walk barefoot on the water, but to wear special rubber slippers. However, of all the dangerous inhabitants of the Mediterranean, they are perhaps the least dangerous, and certainly the slowest. Simply put, when you meet this beautiful creature, do not try to pick it up or step on it with your foot.

Anemones (anemones)

Dangerous inhabitants of the Mediterranean are very varied. They can be fish and algae and molluscs and arthropods. Sea anemones are widespread throughout almost the entire Mediterranean coast. They can grow in colonies or singly. Seemingly harmless algae. Often found in the surf, touching them invokes feelings similar to a nettle burn, but this soon passes, however, these algae can deliver you a few unpleasant minutes.

sea urchins

Especially sea urchins create problems for tourists on the beaches of the island of Cyprus. More than all the other dangerous inhabitants of the Mediterranean Sea combined. Often sea urchins form numerous clusters on rocks with inclined planes. Vacationers, going ashore or just wandering over the rocks in the water, often take risks, grabbed a hand or stepped on a hedgehog. Of course, in this case, you can get hurt and the pain can be noticeable, the good thing is that poisonous hedgehogs do not live in Cyprus. It is also good that there are practically no hedgehogs on sandy and pebble beaches, they are found among the stones in the breakwaters.

Jellyfish

In the Mediterranean Sea, the only jellyfish that poses a danger to humans is the “Portuguese man-of-war”. Outwardly, this jellyfish looks like a soap bubble with tentacles. Its swim bladder is brightly colored and looks like the sail of an old Portuguese ship. Burns of this jellyfish can cause severe pain, they are characterized by the appearance of blisters on the skin and swollen lymph nodes. In about 30% of cases, after the burn of this jellyfish, people are hospitalized. The Portuguese boat lives off the coast, Spain, Portugal and France. Many people suffer from defeat Portuguese boat because of your curiosity, swam on near distance to this jellyfish, a person runs the risk of falling into the reach of its poisonous tentacles. This jellyfish with its venom is capable of killing fish 2-3 times its size.

moray eel

Predatory fish belonging to the eel family. Not much more than 200 species of this species live in the world's oceans. predatory fish. It has a snake-like body, shaped like the body of an eel. Mediterranean moray eels are not very large, the maximum length of these fish is about 1.5 meters, and their weight is 8-12 kg. But mostly individuals weighing 4-6 kg and about 1 meter long predominate.

So negative attitude to the moray eel developed because of its appearance. A snake-like monster with a mouth studded with sharp teeth is unlikely to cause positive emotions in anyone. There is a lot of talk about the bloodthirstiness of this predator scary rumors, which, however, are 90% untrue.

And although this fish is very voracious and curious, it never attacks people first. It can only attack when defending itself or when it is wounded. For ordinary people resting on the beach, it is not dangerous.

It poses a great danger to diving enthusiasts when they invade its territory and try to get to know it better. Some even try to touch her hand, not knowing anything about the habits of the moray eel. Inexperienced anglers also often suffer from moray teeth. Having caught the fish on the line and not knowing how to properly handle it, they try to take it off the hook, and at this time it can seriously injure the angler. So when they go to catch moray eels, they take a special mallet with them. The caught moray eel is beaten with a mallet on the head and only when the fish is immobilized is it removed from the hook.

sharks

Today, sharks do not pose a particular danger in the Mediterranean Sea, especially off its European coast. However, off the coast of Egypt or Tunisia, you can find such dangerous predator like a white shark, reaching a length of up to 6 meters. Just as dangerous is the tiger shark, which is still occasionally found in the waters of the Mediterranean. It is not inferior in size to the white shark, and weighs about 900 kg.

The mako shark is no less dangerous, although it is smaller than the two preceding monsters, its length is 4 meters, and its weight can reach 0.5 tons. But this shark is very fast and sharp. However, today in the Mediterranean Sea today it is necessary to protect sharks from people, and not vice versa.

Other interesting materials: