How to recognize a stingray sting. What are the immediate symptoms of a stingray injury. When to seek emergency medical care for a stingray attack. How to provide proper first aid for a stingray wound. What are the signs of infection after a stingray sting. How to prevent stingray injuries while swimming or diving.

Understanding Stingray Encounters: Myths vs. Reality

Stingrays, often misunderstood creatures of the sea, are not inherently aggressive towards humans. Contrary to popular belief, these marine animals typically try to avoid confrontation. However, accidental encounters can lead to painful injuries. In the United States alone, approximately 5,000 people fall victim to stingray stings annually, with injuries ranging from minor wounds to severe lacerations and, in extremely rare cases, fatalities.

To illustrate the generally peaceful nature of stingrays, consider the popular tourist attraction known as Stingray City in the North Sound of Grand Cayman. Here, visitors can safely feed and swim with wild stingrays under the guidance of experienced tour operators. Interestingly, these are the same species found in the Gulf of Mexico, where stingray injuries are more common due to unexpected encounters.

Why Do Stingray Attacks Occur?

Stingray attacks are primarily defensive reactions. These marine creatures often bury themselves in sandy or muddy areas of shallow water, making them difficult to spot. When stepped on or threatened, they instinctively use their venomous barb as a defense mechanism. This is why stingrays are sometimes referred to as “aquatic landmines” – hidden dangers in seemingly safe waters.

Anatomy of a Stingray Sting: Understanding the Injury

A stingray injury involves two components: the physical wound and the effects of venom. The stinger, or barb, is a formidable weapon that can penetrate various materials, including neoprene, leather, and even wood. Some larger species possess barbs up to 14 inches long, capable of inflicting severe damage.

The Physical Wound

Stingray wounds can range from simple punctures to major lacerations. The barb resembles a serrated knife blade with a sharp, pointed end. When a person steps on a stingray, the animal typically whips its tail forward and sideways, often resulting in injuries to the lower leg or top of the foot. In more severe cases, if the sting penetrates the abdomen or chest, it can potentially damage vital organs.

The Venom Factor

The stinger is covered with a sheath that releases venom when broken. This venom contains a heat-labile protein, which means it can be degraded by heat. It’s important to note that there is no antivenom available for stingray stings. Alarmingly, about 70% of stingray victims lose consciousness due to envenomation.

Recognizing Stingray Sting Symptoms: What to Look For

Identifying a stingray sting quickly is crucial for proper treatment. The symptoms can be intense and may include:

• Immediate and severe pain around the injury site
• Pain that peaks within 30-60 minutes and can last up to 48 hours
• Initial blue or dusky coloration of the wound, later changing to bright red
• Swelling and bleeding at the wound site
• Systemic symptoms such as weakness, headache, dizziness, anxiety, sweating, nausea, diarrhea, fainting, and muscle cramps

The pain from a stingray sting is often described as relentless and almost inconceivable in its intensity. Even witnessing someone experiencing this pain can be shocking.

First Aid for Stingray Stings: Immediate Actions to Take

When faced with a stingray sting, prompt and proper first aid is essential to minimize pain and prevent complications. Here’s a step-by-step guide on what to do:

1. Remove the victim from the water to prevent drowning due to pain or shock.
2. Control any bleeding by applying direct pressure to the wound.
3. Immerse the affected area in hot water (as hot as the victim can tolerate without scalding, ideally around 110-114°F or 43-45°C) for 30-90 minutes. This helps neutralize the venom.
4. If hot water is not available, apply dry or moist heat to the area.
5. Clean the wound thoroughly with soap and fresh water to remove any foreign materials.
6. Remove any visible pieces of the stinger, but be cautious as they may be deeply embedded.
7. Apply a clean, dry dressing to the wound.
8. Seek medical attention, especially if the sting is on the abdomen, neck, or if signs of a severe allergic reaction occur.

When to Seek Emergency Care

While many stingray stings can be treated with first aid, certain situations require immediate medical attention. Seek emergency care if:

• The sting is located on the face, neck, abdomen, or chest
• There are signs of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)
• The victim experiences difficulty breathing or chest pain
• There is profuse bleeding that doesn’t stop with direct pressure
• The victim loses consciousness or shows signs of shock

Medical Treatment for Stingray Injuries: What to Expect

Upon reaching a medical facility, healthcare professionals will assess the severity of the sting and provide appropriate treatment. This may include:

• Thorough cleaning and exploration of the wound
• X-rays to check for retained parts of the stinger
• Removal of any remaining fragments of the stinger
• Administration of tetanus prophylaxis if needed
• Prescription of antibiotics to prevent infection
• Pain management, which may involve local anesthetics or systemic pain relievers
• In severe cases, surgical intervention may be necessary

Follow-up Care and Monitoring

After initial treatment, it’s important to monitor the wound for signs of infection. Your healthcare provider may recommend follow-up visits to ensure proper healing. They might also advise on wound care techniques and when it’s safe to resume normal activities.

Preventing Stingray Injuries: Safety Tips for Beach and Water Activities

While stingray encounters can be alarming, there are several precautions you can take to minimize the risk of injury:

• Practice the “stingray shuffle”: Instead of lifting your feet and stepping down in shallow water, slide your feet along the bottom. This alerts stingrays to your presence, giving them time to move away.
• Use a stick or oar to probe the sand in front of you when walking in shallow water.
• Wear protective footwear, although be aware that stingers can penetrate most types of shoes.
• Pay attention to warning signs on beaches and follow local guidelines.
• Avoid areas where stingrays are known to congregate, especially during their peak seasons.
• If you spot a stingray, maintain a safe distance and do not attempt to touch or provoke it.

Educating Others: Spreading Awareness

One of the most effective ways to prevent stingray injuries is through education. Share your knowledge about stingray safety with friends and family, especially when planning beach trips. Consider participating in local marine life awareness programs or supporting conservation efforts that promote safe coexistence with marine animals.

Long-term Effects and Complications of Stingray Stings

While most stingray stings heal without significant complications, some cases may lead to long-term issues. Understanding these potential effects can help in recognizing when additional medical intervention is necessary.

Potential Long-term Complications

• Chronic pain at the sting site
• Persistent weakness in the affected limb
• Scarring, especially from larger wounds
• Nerve damage, which may cause numbness or tingling
• Recurring infections if fragments of the stinger remain embedded
• Psychological effects, such as anxiety about water activities

If you experience any persistent symptoms following a stingray sting, it’s crucial to consult with a healthcare provider. They can assess the wound, check for any retained foreign material, and recommend appropriate treatment or therapy.

Rehabilitation and Recovery

For more severe stingray injuries, a period of rehabilitation may be necessary. This could involve physical therapy to regain strength and range of motion in the affected area. In some cases, occupational therapy might be recommended to help with daily activities impacted by the injury.

Understanding Stingray Behavior: Coexisting Safely with Marine Life

Developing a deeper understanding of stingray behavior can significantly contribute to safer interactions with these marine creatures. Stingrays are generally docile animals that play an important role in marine ecosystems. Their defensive nature comes into play only when they feel threatened.

Stingray Habitats and Behavior

Stingrays are commonly found in coastal marine waters of tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. They often inhabit shallow, sandy areas where they can easily bury themselves for camouflage and to hunt for food. Understanding their preferred habitats can help beachgoers and water enthusiasts avoid unintentional encounters.

Conservation and Respect

As with all marine life, it’s crucial to approach stingrays with respect and caution. Conservation efforts aimed at protecting stingray populations and their habitats contribute to maintaining the balance of marine ecosystems. By being mindful of our impact on marine environments, we can help ensure the safety of both humans and stingrays.

Remember, stingrays do not actively seek out human interaction. Most injuries occur when these animals are startled or feel threatened. By practicing responsible behavior in marine environments, we can minimize the risk of painful encounters while appreciating the beauty and importance of these fascinating creatures.

How To Treat a Stingray Injury (And How to Avoid One!)

Contents

Thousands of people are reported to be stung by stingrays each year in the United States alone (5000, to be exact!), and such injuries range from small wounds to severe lacerations and even (rarely) lead to deaths. Most incidents occur due to ignorance or carelessness, so we would like to provide our readers with some useful information on stingray injuries in an easy to read format. Forewarned is forearmed!

General Information

Stingrays inhabit coastal marine waters in tropical and subtropical areas throughout the world. Contrary to common belief, these animals do not usually attack people and try to avoid being stepped on whenever possible. If that does not sound convincing to you, check out the place named Stingray City in the North Sound of Grand Cayman in the Caribbean Sea, where tourists feed and swim with uncaptured stingrays fearlessly. Local tour guides can even lure these animals to the surface with a piece of squid and encourage vacationers to stroke them. While we certainly do not recommend such close relationships with stingrays, it is a curious fact that those friendly creatures are the same species that are found in the Gulf of Mexico, where people fall victim to stingray injuries on a regular basis.

Source: Depositphotos

Well, stingrays are not aggressive species but, like any living things, they try to protect themselves in dangerous situations. After all, nobody likes being stepped on. Sometimes you can easily see stingrays congregating along the sandy sea bottom, but in many cases, they lie buried in the sand in shallow or muddy areas of water and are difficult to notice. This is why these animals are sometimes called aquatic landmines. If a diver, fisher, or swimmer does not exercise extreme caution, they can sustain a life-threatening injury and experience the worst pain in their life after putting their foot down on a stingray, lying at the bottom. The size of a stingray and its stinger depends on the stingray species – many of them grow up to several feet across and still can easily hide in the sand.

Prevention

Probably, the best way to prevent a stingray sting is to develop a habit to shuffle along instead of lifting your feet and stepping down in shallow areas. If you have an oar or a long stick, you can gently slide it along the sandy ground in front of you to check the bottom for stingrays. Wearing footwear can give additional protection. Nevertheless, most types of footwear cannot eliminate the possibility of injuries. Many stings are in the ankle or top of the foot. Clothing hardly provides any protection, since stingray stingers (spines) can penetrate neoprene, leather, and rubber.

Injury

Stingrays have spines, or stingers, which they use to penetrate and envenom the enemy’s body, so there are two aspects in any stingray injury: the penetrating wound and the venom.

Source: Depositphotos

Never underestimate the penetrating ability of a stingray’s barb, even on the smallest of stingrays. The stingray’s barb is designed to penetrate virtually all sorts of dense materials, including wood and leather. And as unbelievable as it may seem, it’s been documented that large stingrays are able to drive a barb through a boat’s wooden planks or completely through a persons arm or leg.

Jerry Labella

1. Wound

Stingray wounds vary from uncomplicated puncture wounds to major lacerations. The bone-hard spine resembles the incredibly sharp serrated blade of a knife, has a pointed end, and can be up to 14 inches long.

When you step on a stingray, the fish throws its tail with a stinger forward and side-to-side, which often causes injury in the lower leg or in the top of the foot.

If the sting penetrates abdomen or chest and injures the vital organs, it can lead to more severe consequences and even death. Quite often, the stinger or its parts stay imbedded in the wound and cause persistent infection if you do not remove them.

2. Envenomation

The stinger is covered with a sheath, which discharges venom when broken (then the animal regenerates it in the same way as we regenerate our fingernails). The stingray venom consists of a heat-labile (degraded by heating) protein. Unfortunately, no antivenom exists.

Be aware that 70 percent of stingray victims go unconscious as a result of envenomation.

Symptoms

Envenomation immediately causes pain around the injury, which feels very intense, peaks at 30-60 minutes, and lasts up to 48 hours.

The pain is often relentless and inconceivable and it can be shocking even to witness it.

At first, the wound looks blue or dusky and then its color may change to bright red. Stingray wounds usually swell and bleed. Venom often causes weakness, headache, dizziness, anxiety, sweating, nausea, diarrhea, fainting, and muscle cramps. Envenomation can also result in tissue death (necrosis) and infection.

Treatment

If you or another person are injured by a stingray, you should promptly seek expert medical help. Nevertheless, there are actions you can take to provide first aid in the meanwhile.

Deep wounds, as well as abdomen and chest, injuries require immediate hospitalization!

Irrespective of the stingray species, first aid is always the same and consists in the following steps:

1. Irrigate the wound with water to remove the venom. The water should be fresh and clean – ideally, sterile. Tap water is still an option. As for saltwater, it contains bacteria, so it is the last resort in treating stingray injuries. Contrary to popular belief, urine and vinegar are not effective.

2. Remove the foreign material (pieces of the stinger, sheath, etc.) to prevent complicating infections. First, extract the most obvious material. Then you can meticulously remove the remains when you immerse the wound in hot water.

3. Immerse the injured area in hot water for 30-90 minutes to decrease the pain. The temperature should be as high as the person can tolerate, but less than 115 °F in order not to cause burns. Change the water frequently to keep the temperature high. While the injured area is in the water, remove the remaining foreign material. If you have no access to hot water, you can use a hot compress or even hot sand (but then irrigate the wound thoroughly to remove the sand). In any case, do not omit this step, because it helps to decrease the pain significantly.

If pain returns, repeat the hot-water soaking.

4. Use oral pain medications to relieve the pain. If you have proper training, you can infiltrate the area around the wound with an anesthetic such as bupivacaine or lidocaine. Be aware that the pain may last for up to 48 hours.

5. After heating the injury, cover the wound with a sterile dressing. You should change it daily. Elevate the injured area and keep it away from saltwater. It is not recommended to stitch the wound, because it may contain bacteria from seawater. If you need to stop a lot of bleeding, you can tape or sew the wound but close it loosely so that potential infection would be able to drain.

6. It is recommended to provide antibiotic treatment for 5 days to prevent bacterial infection. The chosen antibiotics should be effective against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus, and Vibrio species.

If the wound is not healing or infection is not improving in spite of antibiotics, prompt expert medical attention is needed!

Alternative Protection and First Aid

Snake Bite Kits

In case you were stung, there is one more remedy you might find very helpful. Snakebite kit syringes are reported to relieve even the most excruciating pain after stingray envenomation, so you can try one as well. Such kits are sold in sports goods and drugstores.

Consequences

Stingray wounds vary from uncomplicated puncture wounds to major lacerations with possible complications, which may lead to paralysis or even amputation. A severe stingray injury can keep the victim out for work for a few weeks, and months may pass before he or she can walk normally again. People who experienced the worst pain in their life when they were stung by a stingray often have to overcome a deep psychological trauma before they can feel the inner ability to enter the water again. In rare cases, when stingrays inflict wounds to abdomen or chest, the victim can even die, so caution is never too much when you are in the water. If you or another person get stung by a stingray, implement the steps described above and promptly seek expert medical help!

Stingray Stings – Injuries and Poisoning

By

Robert A. Barish

, MD, MBA, University of Illinois at Chicago;

Thomas Arnold

, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport

Reviewed/Revised Jun 2022 | Modified Sep 2022

VIEW PROFESSIONAL VERSION

Topic Resources

Stingrays contain venom in spines located on the back of their tail. Injuries usually occur when a person steps on a stingray (which is often buried in sand) while wading in shallow ocean surf. The stingray thrusts its tail spine into the person’s foot or leg, releasing venom. Fragments of the spine’s covering may remain in the wound, increasing the risk of infection.

The wound from a stingray’s spine is usually jagged and bleeds freely. Pain is immediate and severe, gradually diminishing over 6 to 48 hours. Many people with these wounds experience fainting spells, weakness, nausea, and anxiety. Vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, generalized cramps, breathing difficulties, and death are less common.

(See also Introduction to Bites and Stings Introduction to Bites and Stings Many creatures, including humans, bite when frightened or provoked. Others include Alligators and crocodiles Iguanas Mites Ticks read more .)

First aid treatment for stingray injuries to an arm or leg begins by gently rinsing with saltwater in an attempt to remove fragments of the tail spine. The spine should be removed only if it is at the skin surface and is not penetrating the neck, chest, or abdomen. Significant bleeding should be slowed by applying direct pressure.

In the emergency department, doctors examine the wound and remove fragments of the spine. A tetanus shot Vaccination Tetanus results from a toxin produced by the anaerobic bacteria Clostridium tetani. The toxin makes muscles contract involuntarily and become rigid. Tetanus usually develops after a wound… read more may be needed. The injured arm or leg should be elevated for several days. Some injured people are given antibiotics and may need surgery to close the wound.

NOTE:


This is the Consumer Version.


DOCTORS:



VIEW PROFESSIONAL VERSION

VIEW PROFESSIONAL VERSION

Copyright © 2023 Merck & Co. , Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA and its affiliates. All rights reserved.

Test your knowledge

Take a Quiz! 

bites, first aid, symptoms and treatment

contents

Overview

Rays are flat, disc-shaped creatures with wing-like fins. River species can be salty or freshwater. They are most commonly associated with tropical oceanic climates, and their bites are the most common injury on the beach.

The hornet’s tail is long, thin and narrow, resembling a whip. At the end of the tail, one or more prickly spikes covered with a sheath. Each spike contains venom, and the stinger’s tail can deliver a strong, incredibly painful bite.

Stingrays are not usually dangerous – in fact they have a reputation for being gentle. They often burrow under sand in shallows and swim in open water. Stingrays usually only stink when unconscious swimmers swim in them.

You can avoid being stabbed most of the time. But if you feel a prick, there are a few things you can do right away to start relieving the pain.

First Aid for Knife Wounds

When stabbed, you will immediately feel severe pain at the wound site. It is necessary to start treating the wound immediately if it is superficial.

If a hedgehog has pierced your throat, neck, stomach, or chest, or completely pierced part of your body, do not attempt to remove it. Seek emergency medical attention immediately.

Otherwise, stay in the ocean and get the boat out if you can. Let the salt water cleanse the wound by applying pressure to slow bleeding and stimulate the release of toxin.

Try to remove any additional debris you may see when cutting or drilling while you are still in the water.

Pay attention to how you feel after being bitten. A life-threatening allergic reaction to the released poison is possible, so urgent medical attention is needed. Expect the area to swell.

Hot water kills the venom of the bite and may relieve the pain associated with the bite. Once you determine that you do not have an allergic reaction, you can try soaking the stinger in hot water (although some sources state there is no evidence that irrigation is effective).

The ideal soak temperature is between 110°C and 115°C. Heat the water every 43 minutes to keep it hot, and soak the wound for 46 to 10 minutes or as long as needed to soothe the pain. Warm water can also release a jelly-like poison.

After pain relief, apply antibiotic ointment or cream to the wound and cover with gauze.

What are the symptoms of a bite?

If you have been stung, you may notice the following symptoms:

• abdominal pain
• anxiety
• bleeding
• diarrhea
• dizziness
• severe pain at the wound site
• humor
• headache
• low blood pressure
• muscle cramps
• nausea
• necrosis (death) surrounding tissues
• pain in the limbs
• painful, swollen lymph nodes near the site
• discoloration of the skin
• swelling
• vomiting

The following symptoms may be signs of a systemic reaction or respiratory failure and require immediate medical attention:

• unconsciousness
• arrhythmia
• 7 seizures
• shortness of breath
• sweating

Possible cardiac arrest or shock state of the body after a bite. Several people died from stab wounds to the chest and abdomen.

If you have a stab wound and haven’t updated your tetanus shot, it’s time to get it back.

If you have had a sore for some time but are slowly healing, you have redness or extra swelling in the area, or the spot is starting to ooze pus, seek treatment immediately. The site may become infected and your doctor may prescribe antibiotics (orally or intravenously) to treat it.

Like stabbings

Since rays camouflage themselves under the sand when hunting, they can be hard to spot and easy to step on if you don’t know what to look for.

When threatened, the rye will defend itself with its tail, which can reach up to the head, leaving a wound or stab wound on our skin.

When you are hit by a whiptail, one or more of its spikes can pierce your skin. The sample around each spike then breaks down and releases the toxin into the wound and surrounding tissues.

Rays most often sting people on the legs, ankles and feet, but sometimes they can sting anywhere on the body.

To avoid being bitten by a stingray, shuffle your feet across the sand when walking in shallow water. This will alert you that you are coming. Another option is to throw grenades or small rocks into the water in front of you as you walk.

How are knife wounds treated?

If you are in a medical emergency, your doctor will carefully examine your wound. They have to remove all contamination of the match in the wound from the spikes or scabbard. They may take the x-ray pages to determine if all debris has been removed. The x-ray shows a fragment of the spine and scabbard.

You may be given a prescription or intravenous antibiotic, and stitches if the wound is large or deep. You can also get a tetanus shot.

In some cases, you may need postoperative surgery to remove dead tissue or heal a serious wound.

What is the probability of being stabbed?

In most people, stab wounds heal within a few weeks. Expect local numbness and tingling around the wound site during the healing period.

The site of the bite, the amount of toxins in the tissue, the degree of tissue damage, and the speed of processing will affect healing time. If you need to undergo surgery after being bitten, your recovery will take longer.

Stingray (sea cat). A brief description of the fish-cat. Reproduction and life span of stingray fish

Family Stingrays or Stingrays (Dasyatidae)

In stingrays, the pectoral fins merge with each other in front of the head. The tail part of the body is well separated from the body. The disc is very wide, the tail is usually thin and pointed; as a rule, it is much longer than the disk, but in some species it is shortened and thickened. The skin of stingrays is smooth, the spines on it are never numerous.

Stingrays got their name due to the fact that the upper surface of the tail is armed with one or more long dagger-shaped needles. The needles are flattened laterally, covered at the edges with coarse serrations and very sharp at the end. The length of the needle in large rays can reach 33-37 cm. Such a needle is attached with its base directly to the skin in the middle part of the tail and lies on its surface back with a tip. A groove runs along its lower surface, at the bottom of which cells are located that secrete a poisonous secret.

The tail quill of the stingray is a terrible weapon used for defense. The main enemies of stingrays – large sharks – often wear fragments of such needles on their heads, indicating past fights. By itself, the tail needle is motionless, but, bending the tail with a whip-like movement, the stingray can inflict very powerful blows with it. In large fish, the force of impact is such that the needle easily pierces leather shoes or several layers of clothing and enters deep into the body of a person who accidentally disturbed a stingray lying somewhere near the beach. The poison penetrating into a stab wound is very toxic and causes sharp spasmodic pain. At the same time, blood pressure drops, a strong heartbeat occurs, vomiting begins, and muscle paralysis is sometimes observed.
There are cases when injections of tropical stingrays led to death.

The stingray family includes four genera, which include about 35 species. Their size varies greatly: in small species, the width of the disk does not exceed 60 cm, while in large species it reaches 2.3-2.5 m or more. Stingrays are found mainly in the shallow waters of tropical and subtropical seas, and only a few species inhabit moderately warm waters. Some of them enter fresh water bodies and even live permanently in them. Usually stingrays lie on a sandy or muddy bottom, partially burrowing into the ground and becoming almost invisible from the outside. If necessary, they swim, however, quite quickly, while waving their pectoral fins. There are also pelagic species in this group that live in the water column far from the coast.

Stingrays are ovoviviparous, but the cubs developing in the womb, in addition to nutrition from the yolk of the egg, also receive a special liquid rich in proteins (something like milk). This fluid is secreted by special outgrowths located on the walls of the uterus. Bundles of such outgrowths penetrate the spatters of the embryos, and the nutrient fluid enters directly into the digestive tract.

In our waters, there are stingrays in the Black Sea and off the coast of Primorye. Stingray found in the Black and Azov Seas sea cat
(Dasyatis pastipasa), widespread along the coasts of West and North Africa and Europe (up to the North Sea).

This is a rather heat-loving fish that appears near our shores only in summer and leaves them again in autumn. The sea cat is one of the rather large stingrays and can reach 2.5 m in length. Its usual dimensions are much smaller – no more than 1 m in length, the average weight is 6-10 kg, but sometimes individuals weighing up to 20 kg are also found. The birth of juveniles in our waters occurs in June or July, when the female gives birth to 4 to 12 cubs. The sea cat stays near the bottom and often burrows into the ground. Its food consists of small fish, crustaceans and other bottom animals.

The sea cat is of some commercial importance and is sometimes caught in significant numbers. During the spring migration of this species to the Sea of ​​Azov in the Kerch Strait, in some cases, up to 10,000 individuals were caught per seine spot. The liver of this stingray contains up to 63% fat rich in vitamin D.

Among the Far Eastern species of this family, giant stingrays can be noted
(Urolophoides giganteus), which has a thick short tail and is occasionally found in Peter the Great Bay. The body length of this stingray reaches 2.3 m. The smaller red stingray (Dasyatis akajei), not exceeding 1 m in length, is quite common in the waters of South Primorye. Its meat is quite edible and is eaten in Japan, Korea and China.

Life of animals: in 6 volumes. – M.: Enlightenment.
Edited by professors N.A. Gladkov, A.V. Mikheev
.
1970
.

– (DASYATIDAE) The stingray has a very wide disc, and the tail is usually thin and pointed. They got their name because the upper surface of their tail is armed with one or more long dagger-shaped needles. These needles are flattened with… … Fish of Russia. Directory

Ordinary tourists and water sports enthusiasts
quite often you have to deal with bites or pricks of fish, burns of jellyfish, corals, algae and other inhabitants of the ocean depths. Therefore, you need to be prepared for an unwanted meeting and know how first aid is provided in certain cases of contact with marine inhabitants. The article was created based on the materials of the Vinsky forum and surf-spot.ru.

Corals

On coral, you can accidentally cut yourself by touching its petrified outer skeleton. Seemingly harmless sores often swell and become inflamed, as there is usually some amount of animal protein left in them.

What to do if you get cut on coral
: wash damaged areas with fresh water, lather, then rinse well again. To eliminate the remnants of coral dust, rinse the wound again with a mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide (in a ratio of 1 to 1). Then cover the wound with an ointment containing an antibiotic.

Coral can sting you, then the following symptoms occur: after contact there is a burning sensation, in addition, most likely, a raised itchy rash will appear. There may be swelling of the lymph glands.

What to do if you get stung by a coral
: Rinse the burn well with sea water (since fresh water aggravates the pain). Then wipe the burn with vinegar or alcohol to ease the pain. If necessary, shave the affected area and use tweezers to remove any remaining coral. To reduce itching and burning, you can take an antihistamine or pain relievers.

Sponges

Due to their vulnerability, sponges have developed very effective chemical protection methods, so it is not recommended to touch them at all. It is especially necessary to avoid contact with bright sponges – yellow, orange and red. The skeletal needles of the sponges can pierce even the neoprene rubber of gloves. The toxin produced by sponges causes severe skin irritation, dermatitis.

What to do if you get stung by a sponge
: The affected area of ​​the skin must be washed with sea water, and then treated with isopropyl alcohol or table vinegar. An allergic reaction during a burn can be very strong, and the help of a doctor is necessary.

Sea urchins

The quills of these echinoderms are poisonous and cause painful stings (often also infection), and remaining in the wound, the hedgehog’s quills cause further pain. A large number of injections in rare cases can cause paralysis and even death. A symptom such as shortness of breath requires immediate medical attention.

What to do if you get stung by a sea urchin
: Carefully leave the water, taking care not to break off the tips of the needles sticking out of the skin. On the shore you will have to endure as much as you can to wait until the body is dry. In no case do not pull out the needles with teeth, nails, tweezers and other hard objects!

Ask someone to give you a paper napkin or paper handkerchief and carefully take a single needle with the napkin and pull it out, trying not to break off. Then you can apply a local antibiotic. It’s also a good idea to get a tetanus shot.

If the hedgehog’s needles have broken off at the root and it is almost impossible to pull them out, do not panic – disinfect the affected area with alcohol. The next day, the pain usually subsides, and then generally disappears. Limestone needles will eventually dissolve in your blood and leave the body without a trace.

Stings from sea urchins often lead to wound infection and a prolonged inflammatory process. The reasons for this are the particles of needles remaining in the body, which could not be completely removed.

Avoid touching sea urchins with long needle-like needles to avoid stings. It is worth remembering that even leather and cloth gloves, boots, fins are not 100% protection! Therefore, when moving through shallow water, you need to be extra careful not to accidentally step on poisonous echinoderms.

To neutralize the venom, you can also soak the affected part in very hot water for 30-90 minutes or apply a pressure bandage.

When encountering a black sea urchin with long spines, black dots may be visible on the skin – this is a pigment, it is harmless, but can make it difficult to find stuck needles.

One of the most venomous sea urchins is the red color trypneustes. Under no circumstances should you touch it! This hedgehog loves to sit between the rocks at low tide. It also comes in purple and white.

Skates

The smaller the stingray, the more problems it can cause to a person. Of the rays, the most dangerous are stingrays (with a poisonous spike on their backs) and electric rays. Meeting with these creatures can happen even near the shore with a sandy bottom.

Electric ramp
has a round and fleshy body, often brightly colored, resembling a very thick pancake in appearance. The narrow tail sharply separates from the body of the stingray, there is a caudal fin. Gill slits are located on the belly. Their electrical organs are located on the sides of the body between the pectoral fins and head, and they are composed of modified muscle tissue. The voltage recorded during the discharge of an electric organ in various types of rays is very different and ranges from 8V to 220V. Electric rays lead a sedentary life on the bottom, mainly in coastal marine areas. The electric shock of the stingray is very unpleasant, in some cases it causes paralytic shock.

Stingray
– round, flat shape, with a long thin tail, about one or one and a half meters long, with poisonous spikes. This stingray swims very fast. You need to beware of the tail, its spikes are very difficult to remove from the body, as the spikes often break when pulled out.

The injection symptoms are bleeding and sharp pain. The wound may change color and swell, there may also be swelling of the lymph nodes or other reactions of the body. The slope itself is sand-yellow. Keep in mind that stingrays can also hide under the sand.

What to do if you get hit by stingray:
Flush the wound with seawater first. Then immerse the injured area in hot water to ease the pain. Use tweezers to remove the remnants of the sting. Wash the wound again with soap. Stop the bleeding, bandage the wound tightly. Usually, the affected area becomes inflamed and swollen, so the intervention of a doctor is necessary.

Bristleworm

Contact with bristleworm causes symptoms such as swelling, burning and pain.

What to do if bitten by a bristleworm:
wash the wound with vinegar or alcohol to neutralize the remaining poison and relieve pain, sticky tape or strips of adhesive tape will help get rid of the bristles. Hydrocortisone cream will help relieve inflammation, you should also take painkillers.

Stingrays are a family of cartilaginous fish that belongs to the order Stingrays. They live in almost all seas and oceans. They feel great in a very wide temperature range, ranging from 1.5 ° C to 30 ° C. Some species are common in shallow water, others are found at depths up to 2500 meters. There are even stingrays that prefer to live in fresh water.

Stingrays have a well-defined tail, which resembles a whip in its appearance. Its length in some species exceeds half the total length of the fish. The tail ends with one or two serrated spikes, along which furrows with poisonous glands often run. The length of the spike can reach up to 37 cm. Thanks to the powerful muscles of the tail and the exceptionally hard spikes, the stingray can easily pierce a wetsuit, a leg, and the bottom of a wooden boat.

It is noteworthy that the stingray uses its tail exclusively for self-defense, since its more than modest teeth are completely unable to cope with such protective functions. When danger arises, the stingray stingray makes sharp lunges up and forward with its tail, and the spike pierces the enemy.

How to avoid contact with stingray

First, in stingray areas, enter the water gradually, do not sneak, while scuffing along the bottom with your feet to scare off the hunter, who may burrow into the sand while waiting for a suitable dinner. Be especially careful in shallow bays, river mouths, near beaches, that is, in places that stingrays choose for themselves to hunt.

Secondly, swim in special shoes.

Third, do not enter the water at night.

Fourth, be vigilant while diving, do not tease or pester stingrays.

Fifth, when you find a stingray, make some noise, wave your leg several times under water, try to scare it away.

Sixth, carefully butcher the carcass of the stingray when using it for culinary purposes. The poison of even a dead stingray continues to pose a danger to humans.

What are the consequences of a stingray

Stingray venom has a neurotropic effect, causes instant burning and throbbing pain in the damaged area, the peak of which is observed after 1-1.5 hours. Painful sensations can persist for several days, gradually fading over the next 6-48 hours. They are so pronounced that the victims begin to scream, rush about. In such cases, even loss of consciousness is possible.

Contact with a stingray, in addition to pain, is also accompanied by the following symptoms:

• blanching and subsequent redness or blueness of the skin around the wound,
• nausea,
• dizzy,
• chills,
• fever,
• weakness,
• drop in blood pressure,
• sudden increase in heart rate,
• the appearance of a feeling of anxiety.

Less commonly, swollen lymph nodes, increased sweating, pain in the groin and armpits, vomiting and diarrhea may occur. In severe cases, there is a high probability of convulsions, respiratory failure, the victim may become delirious, lose consciousness.

The greatest danger is represented by large individuals, which have a large amount of poison and a powerful thorn. The lethal outcome is observed mainly when injured in the chest or abdomen.

Plus, the stingray’s barb usually causes a laceration that bleeds profusely. Fragments of its coating can remain in the wound, thereby increasing the risk of infection. In this case, the color of the edges of the wound often changes, tissues are destroyed, and pronounced edema appears.

What not to do when stinging a stingray

In no case should you jerk out fragments of a spike stuck in a wound. If removed incorrectly, the teeth on the spike can cause additional injury to the victim.

Do not cut the wounds either. Such actions do not ensure the removal of poison, but only unnecessarily injure the victim.

Do not inject a solution of potassium permanganate or any other strong oxidizers into the wound.

It is forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages, which only aggravate the situation, accelerating the spread and absorption of the poison.

What measures can be taken in case of a stingray

While waiting for a doctor or on the way to the nearest medical facility, the victim can and should be given first aid.

1. First of all, suck out the poison from small puncture wounds for the first 10 minutes after the injection, spitting it out periodically. This can be done only in the absence of any damage in the oral cavity of the sucker. At the end of the procedure, the mouth must be rinsed with a solution of potassium permanganate or simply clean water.

2. To reduce the concentration of poison and relieve pain, the wound should also be washed with sea water in large quantities.

3. Then carefully remove the remaining pieces of the stud that point backwards. In this case, they should be fed a little forward and slightly rotated to unhook the prong from the fabric, and only then removed.

4. Hot baths are recommended. First, you should apply a pressure bandage above the wound and lower the pricked limb for 30-60 minutes in hot water, the temperature of which is slightly below the burn threshold. 3% magnesium sulfate can be added to the water. Every 10 minutes, the pressure bandage should be loosened and tightened again.

5. Finally, apply an antiseptic dressing and immobilize the limb.

• On the coast of North America, about 750 people suffer from stingrays every year.
• Death is recorded in 1% of cases of contact with stingrays.
• Contact with a stingray was fatal to popular Australian naturalist and broadcaster Steve Irwin.
• Indians, Malays, Australian Aborigines and the inhabitants of the islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans used stingray spikes as tips for their spears and arrows. And since a stingray can grow a new thorn several times in its life, the natives even cultivated stingrays.
• Pliny the Elder in his “Natural History” compared the spike of a stingray with a formidable weapon that can kill a tree and pierce armor.

Stingrays belong to the genus of cartilaginous fish, they are quite dangerous. They can harm a person and sometimes even kill him. They are very widespread, and inhabit almost all seas and oceans, where the water temperature is not lower than 1.5 ° C. Stingrays live
both in shallow water and at depths up to 2.5 km.

Rays of this species have a flat body. The fused pectoral fins, together with the sides of the body and the head, form an oval or diamond-shaped disc. A powerful thickened tail departs from it, at the end of which there is a poisonous spike.

It is large and grows up to 35 cm in length. The grooves on it are connected to the glands that produce poison. After the attack, the spike itself remains in the body of the victim, and a new one grows in its place.

A stingray is able to “grow” several of them throughout its life. Interestingly, the local natives knew about this ability of stingrays, and used these spikes instead of tips in the manufacture of spears and arrows. And even specially bred these.

The eyes of rays are located on top of the body, behind them are spiracles. These are holes in the gills. Therefore, they can breathe, even completely buried in the sand for a long time.

Still on the body of sea stingrays
has nostrils, mouth and 10 gill slits. The bottom of the mouth is covered with many fleshy processes, and their teeth look like thick plates arranged in rows. They are able to open even the strongest shells.

Like all , they have sensors that respond to electric fields. This helps to find and identify the victim during the hunt. The skin of stingrays is very pleasant to the touch: smooth, slightly velvety. Therefore, it was used to make drums by local tribes. Its color is dark, sometimes there is an unexpressed pattern, and the belly, on the contrary, is light.

Pictured is a marine stingray

Among these stingrays there are lovers of fresh water – river stingrays
. They can only be found in the waters of South America. Their body is covered with scales and reaches a length of 1.5 meters. Their color is brown or gray, with small spots or specks.

Pictured is a river stingray

Blue Stingray Feature
is not only his even purple body color. But also a way to move in the water column. If other stingrays of this species move the edges of the disk in waves, then this one flaps its “wings” like a bird.

Pictured is a blue stingray

One of the stingrays
(sea cat) can be found in Black Sea
. In length, it rarely grows up to 70 cm. The slope is brown-gray with a white belly. It is quite difficult to see him, he is shy and stays away from crowded beaches. Despite the danger, many divers dream of meeting him.

Pictured is a sea cat stingray

Character and lifestyle of stingray fish

Stingrays live in shallow water, burrowing into the sand during the day, sometimes a crevice in a rock or a depression under stones can become a resting place. They can be dangerous to humans.

They won’t attack on purpose, of course. But if they are accidentally disturbed or attacked, they will begin to defend themselves. The stingray begins to make sharp and strong lunges and pierces the enemy with a spike.

If it hits the region of the heart, almost instantaneous death occurs. The tail muscles are so strong that the spike can easily pierce not only the human body, but also the bottom of a wooden boat.

When poison enters the body, it causes severe and burning pain at the site of injury. It will gradually subside over several days. Before the arrival of the ambulance, the victim must suck the poison out of the wound and rinse it with plenty of sea water. Similar poison, like stingray
, possesses and sea dragon
, which is also found in the waters of the Black Sea.

In order not to become an accidental victim of this stingray, you need to make loud noise and wave your legs when entering the water. This will scare away the hunter, and he will try to swim away immediately. You also need to be careful when carving the stingray carcass. Its poison has long been a danger to humans.

Despite all this, stingrays are very curious and obedient. They can be tamed and even hand-fed. In the Cayman Islands, there is a place for tourist divers where you can safely swim next to stingrays
, in the company of professional divers and even take unique photos
.

Although stingrays tend to be solitary by nature, they often congregate in groups of over 100 off the coast of Mexico. And they are located in shallow sea depressions, which are called “paradise”.

In European waters, these rays can only be seen in summer. When the water temperature drops, they swim away to warmer places to “winter”, and some species simply burrow deep into the sand.

Fish food stingray

The stingray uses its tail only during self-defense, and it does not take any part in hunting for prey. To catch prey, stingray
slowly floats near the bottom and slightly raises the sand in undulating movements. So he “digs out” his food. Thanks to its camouflage coloration, it is almost invisible during the hunt and is reliably protected from its enemies.

Rays eat marine, crustaceans and other invertebrates. Larger specimens may eat both dead fish and cephalopods. With their rows of blunt teeth, they easily gnaw through any shells.

Reproduction and lifespan of stingray fish

The lifespan of the stingray depends on the species. The record holder is Californian individuals: females live up to 28 years. On average, this figure fluctuates around 10 in nature, in captivity five years longer.

Stingrays
are of different sexes and internal fertilization is inherent in them, like all cartilaginous fish
. Pair selection occurs by means of pheromones that the female releases into the water.

The male finds her on this trail. Sometimes several of them sail at once, then the one who turns out to be faster than their competitors wins. During mating itself, the male is located on top of the female, and, biting her by the edge of the disk, begins to introduce the pterygopodia (reproductive organ) into her cloaca.

Pregnancy lasts about 210 days, there can be from 2 to 10 fry in a litter. While in the womb, they develop by feeding on yolk and protein-rich fluid.