DANGERSOFTHESEA
The hagfish is not a snake or an eel; it has a round, sucking mouth and no jaws (see Family No.1). The mucus from
the body, however, prevents any fish from approaching,
and anglers discard any fishing tackle the hagfish touches.
A true snake, the Indo-Pacific bicoloured sea snake
Pelamis platurus (Linnaeus), does however frequent our
coast from the Cape eastwards. It is not an eel, but an airbreathing front-fanged venomous snake and is easily recognised by the flat paddle-like tail with black blotches on a yellow or greyish background (see PI. 8, fig. X). The body is
black above and abruptly yellow or dirty white below. Sea
snakes are related to the cobras, and their venom is even
more deadly. Fortunately their fangs are small, and many
bites do not result in the injection of venom. Although seasnake bites are often painless, they may be fatal if sufficient
venom has been injected. Symptoms of painful muscle
movements, paralysis of the legs and drooping eyelids usually develop within one hour of the bite. The victim should
lie down and avoid all exertion. A pressure bandage, as
tight as for a sprained ankle, should be wrapped around the
bitten limb, which should also be splinted to prevent movement and spread of venom. Carry the patient immediately
to the nearest doctor or hospital for treatment. If possible,
kill the snake in question and take it to the physician for
identification.
The snake is completely pelagic and produces its young
alive in the sea, but as the sea gets colder south of Natal, the
snakes are less able to swim against currents or waves and a
number are thrown up, fortunately moribund and often
damaged, on the beaches or into tide pools from East London westwards. Every child should be taught to recognise
this creature and avoid playing with it and thus being bitten.
Cone shells are molluscs with a sting causing pain similar
to that of a bee sting, or paralysis and death due to cardiac
failure. They inject their venom through an incredibly small
hollow tooth charged with venom and held by the proboscis
like a tiny spear. They use this venom normally to paralyse
their prey. Beware of collecting these shells and if you do
pick the shell up, do so by the back (larger part) of the shell.
Octopus. Large active prey are subdued by the octopus
with venom produced by the salivary glands and introduced
through bites of the beak-like jaws. Although there is a
small species in Australia that can deliver a fatal bite, the
bites of the South African species apparently give only a
slight burning pain and the small double puncture wounds
are difficult to heal.
Stabs. Most stabs by fish spines are painful, but some fishes
have toxic mucus or venom on their spines. Among these
with venomous spines are the stingrays, Family No. 30; catfishes, Families Nos. 59 and 60; rabbitfishes, Family No.
245; and the scorpionfishes, stonefishes, turkeyfishes and
firefishes, Family No. 149.
18
For all fish spine stabs immerse the wound in water as hot as
can be borne by the victim. Fortunately venoms produced by
creatures living in the sea are destroyed by temperatures in
excess of those of any ocean, but less than that able to be
borne by man. No one has yet tried the hot water treatment
on a sea-snake bite, but it is probable that this venom is
similar to that of land snakes from which it evolved, and is
far more heat stable, probably up to 100 DC and well beyond
the tolerance of man's tissues.
Stingrays (Family No. 30). Stabs from the "sting" on the
tail occur when the fish is pinned down and can whip the tail
forward to drive the serrated spine into the victim's foot,
ankle or leg. If you suspect stingrays may be lying on the
bottom, shuffle your feet along without picking them up. A
touch of your foot on the side of the fish will make it swim
off, as it is a timid creature and only uses its spines for defence.
Catfishes (Families Nos. 59 and 60) are often referred to
by the Afrikaans common name "barbels". Three hidden
serrated fin spines (one in front of the dorsal fin and one in
front of each pectoral fin) can be erected to form a triangle
formidable to any predator. These spines have a venomous
mucus that enters the wound made by lacerations of the serrated spine.
Rabbitfishes (Family No. 245) occur in increasing numbers from Natal northwards. They have a venomous mucus
on the fin spines which causes pain similar to that of a bad
bee sting.
Surgeon and unicorn fishes (Family No. 243) have an
anticoagulant on the spines on the caudal peduncle. Wounds
by these fishes are not painful, but bleed profusely. These
fishes occur from Natal northward.
Scorpionfishes (Family No. 149) become more plentiful
from the Transkei northward, although deepwater forms
occur in the Atlantic and one is known to reach Natal. The
scorpionfishes all have venom on their dorsal fin spines.
The turkeyfishes (genus Pterois, Nos. 149.7, 149.8, 149.9,
149.10, 149.11) occur as far south as Algoa Bay, and are
beautiful, fearless and slow swimming. As a result, they invite being caught in pools by children, but one stab from
their venomous spines and considerable pain and fall in
blood pressure results. Turkeyfishes may actually attack by
swimming towards the intruder with dorsal spines erect and
ready to stab him. This is the only fish known to attack with
its venomous spines; all others seem to use their spines only
for defence.
The stab of the false stonefish (Scorpaenopsis diabolus,
No. 149.31) gives intense pain for about 1 - 3 hours (unless
treated). This fish is probably responsible for various reports that the stonefish is a much maligned creature whose
stab is not as bad as stated!
The true stonefish (Synanceja verrucosa, No. 149.46) is
known from Durban northward and is an ever-present
hazard as stabs from the fin spines can be fatal. The 13
The hagfish is not a snake or an eel; it has a round, sucking mouth and no jaws (see Family No.1). The mucus from
the body, however, prevents any fish from approaching,
and anglers discard any fishing tackle the hagfish touches.
A true snake, the Indo-Pacific bicoloured sea snake
Pelamis platurus (Linnaeus), does however frequent our
coast from the Cape eastwards. It is not an eel, but an airbreathing front-fanged venomous snake and is easily recognised by the flat paddle-like tail with black blotches on a yellow or greyish background (see PI. 8, fig. X). The body is
black above and abruptly yellow or dirty white below. Sea
snakes are related to the cobras, and their venom is even
more deadly. Fortunately their fangs are small, and many
bites do not result in the injection of venom. Although seasnake bites are often painless, they may be fatal if sufficient
venom has been injected. Symptoms of painful muscle
movements, paralysis of the legs and drooping eyelids usually develop within one hour of the bite. The victim should
lie down and avoid all exertion. A pressure bandage, as
tight as for a sprained ankle, should be wrapped around the
bitten limb, which should also be splinted to prevent movement and spread of venom. Carry the patient immediately
to the nearest doctor or hospital for treatment. If possible,
kill the snake in question and take it to the physician for
identification.
The snake is completely pelagic and produces its young
alive in the sea, but as the sea gets colder south of Natal, the
snakes are less able to swim against currents or waves and a
number are thrown up, fortunately moribund and often
damaged, on the beaches or into tide pools from East London westwards. Every child should be taught to recognise
this creature and avoid playing with it and thus being bitten.
Cone shells are molluscs with a sting causing pain similar
to that of a bee sting, or paralysis and death due to cardiac
failure. They inject their venom through an incredibly small
hollow tooth charged with venom and held by the proboscis
like a tiny spear. They use this venom normally to paralyse
their prey. Beware of collecting these shells and if you do
pick the shell up, do so by the back (larger part) of the shell.
Octopus. Large active prey are subdued by the octopus
with venom produced by the salivary glands and introduced
through bites of the beak-like jaws. Although there is a
small species in Australia that can deliver a fatal bite, the
bites of the South African species apparently give only a
slight burning pain and the small double puncture wounds
are difficult to heal.
Stabs. Most stabs by fish spines are painful, but some fishes
have toxic mucus or venom on their spines. Among these
with venomous spines are the stingrays, Family No. 30; catfishes, Families Nos. 59 and 60; rabbitfishes, Family No.
245; and the scorpionfishes, stonefishes, turkeyfishes and
firefishes, Family No. 149.
18
For all fish spine stabs immerse the wound in water as hot as
can be borne by the victim. Fortunately venoms produced by
creatures living in the sea are destroyed by temperatures in
excess of those of any ocean, but less than that able to be
borne by man. No one has yet tried the hot water treatment
on a sea-snake bite, but it is probable that this venom is
similar to that of land snakes from which it evolved, and is
far more heat stable, probably up to 100 DC and well beyond
the tolerance of man's tissues.
Stingrays (Family No. 30). Stabs from the "sting" on the
tail occur when the fish is pinned down and can whip the tail
forward to drive the serrated spine into the victim's foot,
ankle or leg. If you suspect stingrays may be lying on the
bottom, shuffle your feet along without picking them up. A
touch of your foot on the side of the fish will make it swim
off, as it is a timid creature and only uses its spines for defence.
Catfishes (Families Nos. 59 and 60) are often referred to
by the Afrikaans common name "barbels". Three hidden
serrated fin spines (one in front of the dorsal fin and one in
front of each pectoral fin) can be erected to form a triangle
formidable to any predator. These spines have a venomous
mucus that enters the wound made by lacerations of the serrated spine.
Rabbitfishes (Family No. 245) occur in increasing numbers from Natal northwards. They have a venomous mucus
on the fin spines which causes pain similar to that of a bad
bee sting.
Surgeon and unicorn fishes (Family No. 243) have an
anticoagulant on the spines on the caudal peduncle. Wounds
by these fishes are not painful, but bleed profusely. These
fishes occur from Natal northward.
Scorpionfishes (Family No. 149) become more plentiful
from the Transkei northward, although deepwater forms
occur in the Atlantic and one is known to reach Natal. The
scorpionfishes all have venom on their dorsal fin spines.
The turkeyfishes (genus Pterois, Nos. 149.7, 149.8, 149.9,
149.10, 149.11) occur as far south as Algoa Bay, and are
beautiful, fearless and slow swimming. As a result, they invite being caught in pools by children, but one stab from
their venomous spines and considerable pain and fall in
blood pressure results. Turkeyfishes may actually attack by
swimming towards the intruder with dorsal spines erect and
ready to stab him. This is the only fish known to attack with
its venomous spines; all others seem to use their spines only
for defence.
The stab of the false stonefish (Scorpaenopsis diabolus,
No. 149.31) gives intense pain for about 1 - 3 hours (unless
treated). This fish is probably responsible for various reports that the stonefish is a much maligned creature whose
stab is not as bad as stated!
The true stonefish (Synanceja verrucosa, No. 149.46) is
known from Durban northward and is an ever-present
hazard as stabs from the fin spines can be fatal. The 13