The Starry Weever, also known as the Streaked Weever, is a species in the order of the Perciformes and thus belongs to the superclass of the bony fish. On one of its back fins it has spines that are poisonous and cause painful wounds. In addition, redness, swelling, blistering and numbness may occur. These symptoms may persist for weeks.
Description
The body of the Starry Weever is flattened on the sides and is elongated with a sand-coloured or beige base colour. On its back and sides it has many, clearly defined, black spots. His protruding eyes are black, large and on top of the head. The mouth of Trachinus radiatus is also large and directed upwards. The lower jaw surpasses the upper jaw.
It has two back fins. The first, the shorter one, is stacked with poisonous spines.
It reaches a maximum size of 50cm in length.
Habitat and Distribution
The Starry Weever prefers to relax on sandy ground, which they also like to bury in. You can find it in depths down to 150m. When diving in the Canaries you can observe it quiet often in certain locations.
Furthermore, Trachinus radiatus is spread along the coasts of the eastern Atlantic from Gibraltar to the Gulf of Guinea and in the Mediterranean Sea.
Biology
Trachinus radiatus is a hunter. It remains silent in the sand, until the right prey swims past and then it snaps it really fast. Their diet consists of small fish, crustaceans and invertebrates.
The reproduction of the Starry Weever takes place in spring and summer. Their eggs are released into open water and live pelagic until the end of the larval stage.
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