Yes folks it's Weaver Fish time! Here is a little bit of information about one of our few natural enemies in UK waters.

'The Weaver Fish sting can be extremely painful. Death is extremely rare although respiratory failure and gangrene have been reported, following infection. This is a small fish about 15 cm long. It has venomous spines along its dorsal fin. It's found quite commonly around the British Isles in warm weather. It may hide under the sand at low tide and is very well camouflaged.'

Treatment
'The affected limb or wound should be immersed in water as hot as can be tolerated comfortably for 15 minutes. If this isn't possible, cover the wound with hot flannels which should be changed repeatedly. The venom is deactivated by heat and the intense pain should subside within a few minutes of treatment. Simple painkillers such as paracetamol will also help to relieve the pain, antihistamines may also be helpful.'
Weaver Fish Information - courtesy of castcatchand safety.com

Messageboard Encounters

Gizzee: Last year I was bitten/stung on the big toe whilst surfing at Fistral. Wading back out through the shallows after catching a wave in, I felt a sharp pain in my toe, about 5 minutes later I was clutching my foot in absolute agony. I made my way out, hobbled up the beach and proceeded to sweat with a paralysed foot for the next two hours.

Anyone have any idea what kind of critter could have done this? Obviously I'd like to think that it was a Weaver Fish and that I'm super-human! Although I expect it was more likely to be some sort of dirty worm or other filthy bottom-dweller! Are there any aspiring Nature Dudes out there that could shed light on this?

Nick Flack Out The Back: It probably was a Weaver Fish. Get a bucket full of the hottest water you can stand and leave your foot in it. The peeing on the foot is just to get a laugh at someone elses expense.

Here's a funny tale - Last summer there were some lads surfing in trainers at Hells Mouth, we're all having a laugh at them and they said it was because of weaver fish, so a load of the lads said "But we've been coming here for 10 years and never even heard of anyone standing on one!" So the lads took off their trainers and guess what happened as soon as they walked back in...

Bicmeister: I've been fishing Porthcawl area for last 20 years and only ever seen one so just my luck I'll get one next time. I think a bigger danger is old/broken fishing hooks and gip leads. I regularly used to scour Porthcawl beaches at low tide when I was a kid and l always managed to get half dozen every time, leaving the blunt rusty hooks! Manys the day that's played on my mind since I started surfing...

Jerry: It's like a sandy looking spiky big goby, similar to what u see in the rock pools but bigger spikier and poisonous.

Kev Child: It's an ickle fish with a wacking great spines on its back, particularly likes to hang around in the shallows buried in the sand up to its spine and stick people. We only get the 'ickle ones quite common on Gower in summer. It was a weaver for sure exactly the same thing happened to me at gennith a few years back, slight pricking sensation ok, then later severe pain. The stinging feeling stayed around for a good week or more.

John Gough: Yep, Weaver Fish. I stepped on one at Gennith a couple of years ago. My son also stepped on one at Whitesands Bay near Plymouth and really panicked. We took him up to the lifeguards hut which is halfway up the cliff and they had the hot water ready in a bowl.They said that they could spot Weaver Fish victims coming because of the characteristic "hobble" and they put the kettle on as soon as another hobbler is spotted!

Glassyjack: Yeah definitely a Weaver, I stood on one at Newgale last summer! They're generally only found in the shallows of clean water (rules out Rest and Coney!) during the Summer/warm season. Which is why I now paddle out as soon as the water reaches my knees!