Every year in the world there are accidents with tourists on vacation. Misconduct on the water, abuse alcoholic drinks, ignorance of elementary safety standards leads to disastrous consequences.

popular with Russian tourists is and exotic vacation where you can get acquainted with the diverse fauna of the warm seas. For example, in Egypt, as an excursion, it was proposed to go scuba diving in the open sea, where vacationers could take pictures of beautiful fish and touch them with their hands. However, no one warned that almost half of them are poisonous and pose a danger to humans up to death.

Due to the deterioration environmental situation worldwide, large predators in search of prey, they migrate to places that are unusual for their habitat, and swim close to the coast. For example, in 2011, a record number of shark attacks on people around the world were recorded. In Primorye, where sharks have never swam to the shore before and did not show aggression, there have been several such cases. Also in 2015, sharks attacked tourists at the most popular resorts in Egypt. Therefore, before going on a sea holiday, it is important to know simple rules safety when swimming in the sea.

Basic safety rules at sea

1. Before going on a sea holiday, study the inhabitants that pose a danger to humans.
2. While in the water, do not touch the marine life with your hands.
3. Do not swim in the sea at night or at dawn, or alone.
4. Avoid swimming in poor visibility and muddy water.
5. Carefully look under your feet when entering the sea.
6. Wear special shoes near coral reefs.
7. It is not recommended to swim during strong wind and after a storm, as many jellyfish wash up on the shore.
8. Choose low-key swimwear and swim trunks to avoid attracting the attention of sharks and other dangerous fish.
9. Do not swim further than 10 meters from the shore.
10. Pay attention to the badges and flags on the beach. The color of the flag can signal danger.

Let us analyze in more detail the main marine inhabitants that pose a danger to humans.

Jellyfish

Jellyfish have special stinging cells with poison on their bodies, which can cause severe burns. As a rule, they are in a fringe that hangs under the dome. Many jellyfish living in the Russian seas are absolutely harmless, and touching them will hardly cause a burn.

Very often you can observe how children play with jellyfish, throw them at each other. However, among a large number of harmless jellyfish, a dangerous jellyfish that accidentally swam after a strong wind or storm can be caught. Therefore, it is worthwhile to prepare your family members in advance for the fact that you cannot take jellyfish in your hands.

Jellyfish habitat: warm waters of the Mediterranean, Aegean, Black, Caspian, Azov, Red Seas, Indian Ocean, Amur Bay (Vladivostok).

Especially dangerous jellyfish:

Tunisia (Mediterranean Sea) - black jellyfish, Canary Islands- portuguese ship

The coast of the Black, Caspian and Azov seas - jellyfish cornerot

Precautionary measures:

• plan ahead and select safe seasons (for example, during the rainy season in Asian countries the number of jellyfish near the coast increases, August and September is the season of jellyfish in Tunisia),
• do not swim in the sea immediately after the storm, do not touch the jellyfish with your hands.

In case of defeat:

• do not wash the wound (burn site) with sea or fresh water- this may lead to more widespread poison.
• It is necessary to lubricate the skin with vinegar solution or alcohol, remove the remnants of the jellyfish from the skin, treat the wound with a wound healing ointment, and also take antihistamines.

sea ​​urchins

Sea urchins can be found in the warm sea on a sandy bottom, on stones, sheer cliffs in the sea or on coral reefs. They often form large clusters on sloping rocky surfaces near the coast, can be found on metal stairs when descending into the water, grow on piers and bridges. Unlike other inhabitants of the sea, hedgehog needles do not contain poison. However, his injection is very painful and can take quite a long time. There is also a high risk of wound suppuration or tightening with the remaining needles inside.

Sea urchin habitat: warm waters of the Mediterranean, Aegean, Red Seas, Amur Bay (Vladivostok), Indian Ocean.

Particularly dangerous:

Sea urchin diadem , upon contact with which paralysis may occur.

Precautionary measures:

• be careful when entering the water, where there are accumulations of stones,
• do not swim in muddy water or in dark time days.

In case of defeat:

• If the needle sea ​​urchin hit the leg, you need to contact a medical facility as soon as possible.
• If this is not nearby, then you can try to remove the needle yourself, after holding the affected area in hot water and treated with alcohol.
• In Greece, the spines of a sea urchin are pulled out as follows: they lubricate the wound olive oil and squeeze out the spines.

Octopuses

The word "octopus" or "octopus" has been a metaphor for almost 200 years, denoting something dangerous and frightening. IN fiction at times, the case of an attack by huge three-meter octopuses on people was described. In fact, there are only a few really confirmed such cases.

Huge octopuses, described in the novels of Victor Hugo, live on great depth and they themselves do not attack people, but rather hide from them. Meetings with such octopuses of divers in the holds of sunken ships or in underwater caves are known. Therefore, if you decide to scuba dive, avoid such places.

Small octopuses that live in the Red or Mediterranean Sea, as well as in Indian Ocean, are dangerous only if you take a marine animal in your hands. The octopus has jaws similar to the beak of a parrot, which, when bitten, release poison that can cause paralysis and suffocation.

Octopus Habitat: Mediterranean, Aegean, Red Sea, Amur Bay (Vladivostok), Indian Ocean.

Particularly dangerous:

blue ringed octopus - lives in Japan and Australia and causes severe paralysis of the whole body.

Precautionary measures:

• do not pick up octopuses,
• do not swim in underwater caves and grottoes.
• If you are scuba diving, be sure to have sharp knife, so that in the event of an attack by an octopus, cut its dexterous tentacles.

In case of defeat: since the bite of an octopus can cause paralysis and suffocation, you need to urgently call for help and call an ambulance. Experienced fishermen recommend urinating on the site of the bite, so the poison can be neutralized.

sharks

Until recently Russian seas were considered practically safe in terms of the likelihood of shark attacks on people. However, in 2011, white sharks began to attack divers near Vladivostok, 10 meters from the shore. In 2016, as well as in May 2017, sharks dangerous to humans were also seen in these areas.

Shark Habitat: Black, Azov and Caspian Sea due to desalinated water and pollution, they are considered the safest. Mediterranean Sea(resorts of Greece, Turkey, Italy, Croatia, Cyprus, France) - over the past 100 years, 21 fatal attacks have been recorded. The most likely inhabitants are Tiger shark, mako shark, hammerhead shark and gray reef shark.

Red Sea (Egypt, Israel): about 30 species of sharks live, some of them come close to the shore. Attacks by especially dangerous white and tiger sharks are possible.

Indian Ocean: most of the attacks were registered near the coast of Australia and Africa, South Africa (Cosi Bay). Dangerous to humans like gray, tiger and great white sharks live here.

Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean: beaches near California, Florida and Hawaiian Islands considered the most dangerous the largest number sharks

Particularly dangerous:

Big White shark (cannibal shark) - one of the large and dangerous predators, reaches five meters in length. It lives in all seas and oceans, including Primorye and Sakhalin.

Mako shark (grey-blue shark) - the fastest and aggressive shark in the world. It lives in almost all seas, including eastern region our country in summer period(except for Black, Azov and Caspian). Registered numerous cases attacks of this shark on people standing on the shore or on the pier.

Blue shark (blue shark) - Few cases of attacks on people are known. It lives in all seas and oceans, including Kamchatka.

Tiger shark - one of the most dangerous species of sharks for humans. In 2011, 169 cases of attacks by this shark on people were registered, 29 of which were fatal. It lives in tropical and subtropical waters (Red Sea, India, Australia, North and South America).

Precautionary measures: The main reason for shark attacks on people is the shark's poor eyesight, it mistakes a floundering person for a fish. Often vacationers themselves provoke a shark and swim closer to it. For tourists, they even came up with such dangerous entertainment as swimming with sharks. Those who choose this way of “resting” forget that sharks are predators, and they can react to bright swimwear, jewelry, as well as fresh wounds or cuts on the body, as they can feel blood at great distances.

Do not swim alone, especially near fish schools, fur seals, dolphins. Sharks love loners and most often attack solo divers. For security purposes, modern repellers and repellents have been created as a means of protection against sharks.

In case of meeting and defeat:

• If you are swimming and see a shark in the water, do not tease it, but catch a wave and try to get ashore.
• Sharks even attack a person in a boat (for example, mako shark), so if you are in a boat and a shark swims at you with the intention of attacking, you need to hit it with an oar on the nose and immediately swim to the shore. This will scare away the shark and buy time.
• Try to overcome panic and fear: the shark feels fear, this can provoke an attack.
• When meeting with a shark, you need to swim away slowly, slowly and without floundering in the water, but you should not pretend to be dead, since this method does not work with sharks.
• Just because a shark just swims by doesn't mean it wants to attack.
• A possible attack by a shark is indicated by the fact that it went straight towards you or describes circles around you.
• As a rule, the shark attacks in one sharp movement, at this moment you can strike back at its nose, eyes and gills.
• The blows must be applied quickly and many times, everything that is in the hands will come in handy. For example, a camera, a mask, fins, a stick, a stone.
• If there is a large stone nearby, you can snuggle up to it. So you reduce the angle of attack of the shark.
• If the shark attacked and swam away, then you need to call for help as soon as possible and get ashore - the predator can return.

Sea fish

The most dangerous and poisonous sea ​​fish live in the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, where tourists are offered to go scuba diving and watch the beautiful undersea world. However, it is worth remembering that no matter how beautiful the fish are, you cannot touch them.

most dangerous and poisonous fish seas and oceans

Spiny arotron (relative of the deadly Fugue fish) - secretes a powerful poison — tetrodotoxin, can cause death. Lives in the Red Sea, Indian Ocean.

Lionfish (Lionfish) — in the fins of this beautiful fish there are needles that emit poison, which causes severe pain and paralysis, can cause death. Found in the Red Sea, Indian Ocean.

Scorpio, sea ​​ruff - injections of sea ruff cause very severe pain. It lives in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

Stingray - a stingray thorn that can be stepped on contains poison. A thorn prick is extremely painful and dangerous, it can even cause death. It lives in the Mediterranean Sea, as well as in the Black and Azov.

Fortunately, there are not so many dangerous inhabitants of the water depths in the Mediterranean Sea. If we compare their number and degree of danger with tropical seas, then it is ten times safer to relax and swim on the Mediterranean coast. The probability of meeting with such dangerous predators as a shark or moray eel is so small that even experienced scuba divers sometimes cannot find them. Moreover, only the white shark is found in the waters of the Mediterranean, the blue shark has not been seen here for a very long time, and cases of shark attacks on humans over the past few decades have been rare. However, with the smaller inhabitants of the sea, which are found in the Mediterranean Sea and can cause a lot of trouble, the probability of meeting is quite high.

One of the basic rules of swimmers and divers is "If you don't know, don't touch". Often it not only saves from unpleasant sensations or memories of unexpected meeting, but also becomes a guarantee a relaxing holiday by the sea. It should also be borne in mind that the more dangerous a marine animal, the calmer it behaves, allowing a curious tourist to get as close as possible. After all, the animal thinks that everyone around knows about it. bad character and won't bother.

Wild beaches with single vacationers and stone beaches overgrown with algae require special caution in behavior. In such places, you need to protect yourself with special rubber shoes. It will perfectly protect against hedgehogs, corals, sharp stones and algae. The latter, by the way, on some beaches of Cyprus, especially near Protaras, are able to sting, like nettles, redness can last for several hours, itch and interfere. If you encounter such algae, you need to lubricate the burns with an anti-allergy agent as soon as possible.

Below is a list of the most common marine life dangerous to humans that can be found in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Perhaps their description and some recommendations from experienced scuba divers will help tourists avoid meeting them or respond correctly to the behavior of the animal.

Sea ruffs, electric rays and stingrays

Since the meeting with the blue or white shark in the Mediterranean Sea is reduced to almost zero, the top rating is occupied by smaller inhabitants of the sea. The stingray has powerful weapon, poisonous thorns on the tail. The Electric Ray defends itself by delivering an electric shock to the attacker. In sea ruffs, the entire body is covered with spikes and prickles, at the base of which is poison, which the ruff injects into the attacker. I also call sea ruffs small scorpions, they are difficult to distinguish among multi-colored stones and algae and can be mistaken for a pebble. When poison gets on the body, inflammation appears at the puncture site, which can develop into an abscess. Timely drunk antihistamine helps to quickly restore the skin. However, it would be better not to touch unfamiliar animals, attractive stones and corals with your hands. In 100% of cases, ruffs and stingrays do not use their poisonous weapons for hunting, only for protection.

Sea eels and moray eels

Man's behavior with these two creatures must be very careful. There is no need to give in to the desire to treat the fish with a treat, the consequences of their bite can be serious. Moray eels and eels have a powerful jaw with sharp teeth. At the moment of danger, animals will try to protect themselves and bite the attacker.

fire worms

Fireworms are quite beautiful due to their bright orange color and fluffy white bristles that cover the entire body of the worm. Often they reach 15-20 cm in length, but there are individuals 35 or more centimeters long.

The worm is perhaps the slowest of the dangerous inhabitants of the sea; it will not attack its offender. However, it is next to him, and even more so you should not touch it with your hands. The venom of the fireworm is located in white bristles, which, in case of danger, detach from the body of the animal and sting the novice scuba diver. After meeting with a worm, small burns, similar to stinging nettles, may remain on the body.

Most often, fireworms live on wild beaches Cyprus. Rubber shoes and common sense will save lovers of secluded shores from worm burns.

Jellyfish of the Mediterranean

Off the coast of the island of Cyprus, jellyfish are not common, but a meeting with them is not excluded. Because of sudden warming on the planet and rising water temperatures in the Mediterranean Sea colony dangerous jellyfish V last years become impressive. Most dangerous view considered luminous purple jellyfish living mainly off the coast of Italy. However, often after strong storm these jellyfish can also be seen off the coast of Cyprus. Their long thin tentacles reach 50 cm, and the round transparent body is about 10-15 cm in diameter. The burns of these jellyfish are extensive and painful. The burn site should be immediately lubricated with an anti-inflammatory anti-allergic agent and an antihistamine medicine should be taken. To the great joy of scuba divers, a meeting with such a beautiful and dangerous inhabitant of the sea does not threaten him with troubles, a thermal suit, goggles and gloves reliably protect the body from strong bites.

sea ​​urchins

Vacationers in Cyprus most often meet with sea urchins. rocky bottom warm sea- Paradise for this animal. Often hedgehogs live on the rocky slopes of wild beaches in whole colonies. Fortunately for careless bathers, there are no poisonous sea urchins in Cyprus. The only trouble when meeting with a hedgehog is hedgehog needles stuck in the skin, which can cause inflammation and suppuration.

It will be useful for a novice tourist to know that sea urchins are not found on sandy or pebble beaches. There are no necessary stones or breakwaters for them. But on wild beaches, on which whole stone blocks lie, hedgehogs expanse.

If you still couldn’t avoid “acquaintance” with the hedgehog and the needles firmly climbed into your arm or leg, you need to do the following:

After the needle has entered the body, you need to try not to break it off, and hedgehog needles are very brittle;

Before pulling out the needle, the leg or arm must be held in very hot water;

Treat the wound periodically with an antiseptic.

sea ​​dragon

The sea dragon is the only dangerous fish in the Mediterranean Sea, which can attack a person first, even if it is not touched. The dragon has venomous spines, which contain a strong toxin that can cause long-term pain.

It is not easy to see this fish at the bottom. She often burrows into the sand and suddenly jumps out of it on her prey. In any case, when bitten by this fish, you need to remain calm, do not panic, take an antihistamine and, if necessary, consult a doctor.

anemones or sea anemones

On a rocky bottom in shallow water off the coast of Cyprus, sea anemones are found, resembling appearance algae, only more fleshy and large. Most of them live in one place and cannot move around. Upon contact with them, a person may feel a slight burning sensation, which quickly passes.

The greatest danger is the anemone - a sorceress. This species is able to move. The tentacles of this anemone are long and poisonous. For a person, a meeting with such an anemone will bring a noticeable burn, and for most marine plankton and small inhabitants, its poison is deadly.

Occupants most of our planet are extremely rich in diverse inhabitants. And speaking of maritime representatives fauna, then special attention deserves the fish of the Mediterranean.

It is this reservoir that is visited annually by millions of tourists from different corners planets. And the fish world for each of them plays a role. Someone during their holidays likes to go fishing and cook from their catch delicious dinner someone likes spearfishing, and someone just wants to admire the beauty of marine life and at the same time not suffer when meeting with their dangerous representatives.

Dangerous inhabitants of the Mediterranean

For many, a seaside vacation is an extremely long-awaited moment in life. Therefore, it is extremely important that it be remembered only from the good side and not be overshadowed by unpleasant events.

When compared with representatives tropical seas, the fish of the Mediterranean Sea is less dangerous. In addition, the number of inhabitants that can pose a threat to humans is much less. So, for example, it is extremely rare to meet a shark in the local waters. But there are others that can harm vacationers in the form of wounds, bites, electric shocks, injection of poison, etc.

To such dangerous residents seas include dragons, jellyfish, stingrays.

Sea dragon, or spider fish

The sea dragon is often referred to as the spider fish. It is one of the most poisonous marine life. temperate zone. This is a fish of the Mediterranean Sea of ​​​​black color, the body length does not exceed forty-five centimeters. She lives on the muddy or sandy bottom of bays and bays. The food of the sea dragon is made up of small fish, worms and crustaceans. At the sight of an ill-wisher, this fish first makes a warning in the form of a deployed fin, and, if necessary, jumps out of its hiding place and pierces the enemy with a poisoned spike. Due to its secretive lifestyle, aggressiveness and high toxicity, the dragon is especially dangerous for those who swim near the shore, walk barefoot in shallow water, and also for fishermen. This dangerous fish of the Mediterranean Sea has a very strong poison like a snake. In people affected by sea ​​dragons, inflammation and swelling of the affected areas, loss of consciousness, vomiting, convulsions, impaired heart rate. Some cases are fatal. When providing the victim with the first medical care to destroy the poison, it is necessary to inject a solution of potassium permanganate into the wound.

Fishing

Many tourists who come to enjoy a Mediterranean holiday in countries such as France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, of course, are interested in such a topic as fishing. To do this, they carefully study the question of which fish in the Mediterranean are most suitable for this activity. And the choice here is extremely rich. These are sardine, and anchovies, and horse mackerel, and mackerel, and various types of mullet.

The most of the mullet family is striped mullet, the length of which reaches 90 cm, and the mass is more than 6 kg. She is caught with a bait, but more often with a net or with the help of a harpoon. Therefore, fishing for striped mullet is like a kind of art.

It is found in the Mediterranean Sea and such as small-scaled sfirena, the length of which reaches one meter. It has some resemblance to a pike, preferring to hunt from an ambush, while pursuing herd fish.

There are also Atlantic bonito, swordfish, bluefin tuna, moray and fangri among other fish of the Mediterranean Sea. Türkiye, Egypt, Israel and others mediterranean countries perfect for fishing lovers for a rich and exciting pastime.

Kingfish of the Mediterranean Sea

Dorada is the most famous among the variety of Mediterranean fish. A photo of its representatives will be a wonderful proof of a full-fledged sea ​​recreation. After all, it is this king fish that is very popular with gourmets vacationing on the Mediterranean coast. Fish restaurants use a lot of recipes for its preparation. And in each of them, the dorado is the queen of the dish.

This one lives delicious fish V sea ​​depths ah, eating small fish, crustaceans and molluscs. Dorado is of two types - royal and gray. And because of the golden crescent on the forehead, this fish is considered special by many. The weight of an adult sea bream reaches 1 kg, and the body length is about 40 cm.

"Aliens" among the fish of the Mediterranean Sea

As a result of enormous labor, in 1869 it was created. Did this economically profitable creation of man affect the life of fish in the Mediterranean Sea? Photo and video recordings made by scientists unequivocally give a positive answer to this question.

After the connection of the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea, the number of inhabitants in the two seas increased significantly. On the one hand, it's not bad. So, in the Mediterranean Sea, new types of fish appeared, including fugu and ball fish. But from an evolutionary standpoint, many scientists have concerns. Indeed, when mixing various kinds fish between them increases the struggle for survival, as a result of which some species may disappear altogether.

Scary stories for the night

Foreword

Thinking about this site, I intended to limit myself to one circular panoramas, photos were added by themselves, then creepy and terrible inhabitants Mediterranean 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 deep sea 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, they will not be superfluous. Cream with a protective factor SPF 5, 10, 15 can be saved for middle lane Russia, the rainy Baltic or foggy Albion. Cypriot thermonuclear sun requires strong 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 lover of swimming with a mask and fins in crystal clear water Protaras, climbing out onto the steep stone coast a couple of times, I sat down on soft algae growing in the surf to take off my fins. The consequences made me remember the old advice: "to make the bust magnificent, 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 Mediterranean Sea.

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

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. Mediterranean sea with salt and warm water- 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 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.

LIST OF FISHES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA

The popular names of fish that are found off the coast of the Mediterranean Sea are so numerous that it is simply impossible to keep them all in memory. The famous wrasse (or greenfinch) on the Provencal coast has, for example, fifteen or twenty various titles. The green wrasse is simply called the greenfin wrasse, in contrast to the blue one.

The only thing you can be sure of is that both fish belong to the labrid family. If you have a guide to ichthyology at hand, it will help you identify a particular fish by shape and color, and not by a local name.

Lavraki is called here "grouper" (measure) in the same way as in English Grouper. The dark perch (dusky-perch) is almost indistinguishable from the cernier, which is a rock perch. And so on, ad infinitum.

Habits, just like the shape and number of teeth and the location and structure of the fins, are what are taken into account, but even ichthyologists often get into trouble when classifying fish. Indeed, until you start to deal with specialized literature to identify a fish, you will not realize how little is known about the difference between fish and their actual habits in marine environment(not in the aquarium).

This is still an open field of activity for making various amendments and making new discoveries. The Frenchman Pierre de Latille recently published a large amount of information in his book, which is best book about the fishes of the Mediterranean, their classification, their habits, and how they should be hunted. This is an invaluable book for the hunter and naturalist.

Latil talked with all the famous hunters without exception, whom he asked about their observations of the underwater kingdom. Latil's rich experience as a naturalist allowed him to give us the first truly comprehensive survey of the fish of the Mediterranean Sea, although he also has errors that are noticeable even to non-specialists.

Indeed, it should be borne in mind that in local names fishes of the Mediterranean Sea there is a complete confusion. If you catch a fish and want to identify it, it is very important to remember its length, the shape of its mouth, gills, teeth, fins (most importantly), pay attention to whether it is solid or intermittent dorsal fins(and if the latter, how many), don't forget the lateral fins, the bottom fins, as well as anything else that might seem important to you. If you are even slightly interested in fish, there will come a time when you will regret that you did not make any timely record of the fish that caused you doubt.

All the fish listed below are teleosts. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it will give you an idea of ​​the most common fish near the Mediterranean coast *.

* I ticked off those fish that I happened to meet on the Black Sea. I am quite sure that most of the rest are also found in the Black Sea in large quantities. Some (mackerel, for example) in the Black Sea are found in in large numbers but rarely found in the Mediterranean. Until now, I have not had to meet octopuses and eels in the Black Sea, but I have seen a large electric ramp with beautiful white plumage on the tail. Not far from the Cold River, I saw literally thousands of small red mullets lying on the bottom in even rows, like soldiers. (Author's note.)