Sea urchins are a danger to ships. Sea urchin: beautiful, but very prickly
Every year, accidents involving tourists on vacation occur around the world. Improper behavior on the water, abuse alcoholic drinks, ignorance of basic safety standards leads to disastrous consequences.
Popular with Russian tourists is and exotic holiday, where you can get acquainted with the diverse animal world warm seas. For example, in Egypt, an excursion offered 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, including death.
Due to the deterioration ecological situation worldwide, large predators in search of prey, they migrate to places unusual for their habitat and swim close to the shore. For example, in 2011, a record number of shark attacks on people were recorded around the world. In Primorye, where sharks had never previously swum to the shore or shown aggression, several such cases have occurred. Also in 2015, sharks attacked tourists in the most popular resorts in Egypt. Therefore, before going to sea holiday It is important to know simple rules safety when swimming in the sea.
Basic safety rules at sea
- Before going on a sea holiday, study the inhabitants that pose a danger to humans.
- While in the water, do not touch sea creatures with your hands.
- Do not swim in the sea at night or at dawn, or alone.
- Avoid swimming in conditions of poor visibility and muddy water.
- Look carefully at your step when entering the sea.
- Wear special shoes near coral reefs.
- It is not recommended to swim during strong wind and after a storm, as many jellyfish wash ashore.
- Choose soft-colored swimsuits and swim trunks to avoid attracting the attention of sharks and other dangerous fish.
- Do not swim further than 10 meters from the shore.
- Pay attention to the signs and flags on the beach. The color of the flag can signal danger.
Let us examine in more detail the main marine inhabitants that pose a danger to humans.
Jellyfish
Jellyfish have special stinging cells with poison on their bodies that can cause severe burns. As a rule, they are in a fringe that hangs under the dome. Many jellyfish that live in Russian seas are absolutely harmless, and touching them will practically not cause a burn.
Very often you can see children playing with jellyfish and throwing them at each other. However, among large quantities harmless jellyfish, you may come across a dangerous jellyfish that accidentally swims in after a strong wind or storm. Therefore, it is worth preparing your family members in advance for the fact that you cannot pick up jellyfish.
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 man-of-war
Coast of the Black, Caspian and Azov Seas - jellyfish cornermouth
Precautionary measures:
- plan ahead and choose safe seasons (for example, during the rainy season in Asian countries the number of jellyfish near the shore increases; August and September are jellyfish season in Tunisia),
- do not swim in the sea immediately after a storm, do not touch jellyfish with your hands.
In case of defeat:
- Do not wash the wound (burn site) with sea or fresh water– this can lead to more more widespread poison.
- It is necessary to lubricate the skin with vinegar solution or alcohol, remove remnants of the jellyfish from the skin, treat the wound with wound-healing ointment, and also take antihistamines.
Sea urchins
Sea urchins can be found in the warm sea on a sandy bottom, on rocks, steep cliffs in the sea or on coral reefs. They often form large accumulations on sloping rocky surfaces near the shore, can be found on metal stairs when descending into the water, and grow on piers and bridges. Unlike other sea inhabitants, the urchin's spines do not contain poison. However, its injection is very painful and can take quite a long time. There is also a high risk of wound suppuration or healing with remaining needles inside.
Habitat sea urchins: warm waters of the Mediterranean, Aegean, Red Seas, Amur Bay (Vladivostok), Indian Ocean.
Particularly dangerous:
Sea urchin tiara , upon contact with which paralysis may occur.
Precautionary measures:
- be careful when entering water where there are accumulations of stones,
- do not swim in muddy water or dark time days.
In case of defeat:
- If a sea urchin needle gets into your leg, you should contact a medical facility as soon as possible.
- If there is no such thing nearby, then you can try to remove the needle yourself, after first holding the affected area in hot water and treated with alcohol.
- In Greece, sea urchin spines are removed as follows: the wound is lubricated olive oil and squeeze out the thorns.
Octopuses
The word “octopus” or “octopus” has been a metaphor for something dangerous and frightening for almost 200 years. IN fiction Cases of attacks by huge three-meter octopuses on people were once described. In fact, there are only a few actually confirmed such cases.
The 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. Divers have been known to encounter such octopuses in the holds of sunken ships or in underwater caves. 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 only dangerous if you pick up a sea animal. 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 entire body.
Precautionary measures:
- do not handle octopuses,
- do not swim into underwater caves and grottoes.
- If you are scuba diving, be sure to have sharp knife, so that in case of an attack by an octopus, it will cut its dexterous tentacles.
In case of defeat: Since an octopus bite can cause paralysis and suffocation, you need to urgently call for help and call an ambulance. Experienced fishermen recommend urinating on the bite site, this way the poison can be neutralized.
Sharks
Until recently Russian seas were considered practically safe in terms of the likelihood of a shark attacking 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 spotted 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 cases of fatal attacks have been recorded. The most likely inhabitants are Tiger shark, mako shark, hammerhead shark and gray reef shark.
Red Sea (Egypt, Israel): There are about 30 species of sharks, some of which come close to the shore. Attacks by especially dangerous white and tiger sharks are possible.
Indian Ocean: Most attacks were recorded near the coast of Australia and Africa, South Africa (Kosi Bay). The gray, tiger and great white sharks that are dangerous to humans live here.
Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean: beaches near California, Florida and Hawaiian Islands are considered the most dangerous the largest number sharks
Particularly dangerous:
Big White shark (man-eating shark) - one of the largest and dangerous predators, reaches five meters in length. It lives in all seas and oceans, including Primorye and Sakhalin.
Mako shark (blue-gray shark) - the fastest and aggressive shark in the world. Lives in almost all seas, including eastern region our country in summer period(except for Black, Azov and Caspian). Registered numerous cases attacks by this shark on people standing on the shore or on the pier.
Blue shark (blue shark) – There are a few known cases of attacks on people. Inhabits all seas and oceans, including Kamchatka.
Tiger shark – one of the most dangerous species of sharks for humans. In 2011, 169 cases of this shark attacking people were recorded, 29 of which were fatal. Lives in tropical and sub tropical waters(Red Sea, India, Australia, North and South America).
Precautionary measures: The main reason for shark attacks on people is the shark’s poor vision; it mistakes a floundering person for a fish. Vacationers often provoke the shark themselves and swim closer to it. They even came up with such dangerous entertainment for tourists as swimming with sharks. Those who choose this method of “relaxation” forget that sharks are predators, and they can react to bright swimsuits, jewelry, as well as fresh wounds or cuts on the body, since they sense blood over long distances.
Do not swim alone, especially near schools of fish, fur seals, dolphins. Sharks love loners and most often attack solo divers. For safety reasons, modern repellents 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 go ashore.
- Sharks will even attack a person in a boat (for example, a mako shark), so if you are in a boat and a shark swims towards you with the intention of attacking, you need to hit it on the nose with an oar and immediately swim to 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 a shark, you need to swim away slowly, without rushing 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 is just swimming by doesn't mean it wants to attack.
- A possible shark attack is indicated by the shark heading straight towards you or circling around you.
- As a rule, the shark attacks in one sharp movement, it is at this moment that you can strike back at it in the nose, eyes and gills.
- The blows must be struck quickly and many times, everything in your hands will be useful. For example, a camera, a mask, fins, a stick, a stone.
- If there is a large rock nearby, you can press yourself against it. This will reduce the angle of attack of the shark.
- If a shark attacked and swam away, then you need to call for help as quickly as possible and get ashore - the predator may return.
Sea fish
The most dangerous and poisonous sea fish live in the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, where tourists are invited to scuba dive and watch the beautiful undersea world. However, it is worth remembering that no matter how beautiful the fish are, you cannot touch them.
The most dangerous and poisonous fish seas and oceans
Spiny Arotron (relative of the deadly Fugue fish) - releases 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, and can cause death. Found in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean.
Scorpena, sea ruff – sea ruffe injections cause very severe pain. Lives in the waters Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
Stingray Stingray – The stingray spine, which can be stepped on, contains poison. The prick of a thorn is extremely painful and dangerous, and can even cause death. It lives in the Mediterranean Sea, as well as in the Black and Azov Seas.
The sea urchin forms a class belonging to the phylum Echinodermata. There are more than 900 species in the class. They are divided into two large groups or subclass: correct hedgehogs and incorrect ones. The former have a round body shape, while the latter are like stretched discs, that is, they have front and back parts of the body. These animals live in sea water at a depth of no more than 5 thousand meters. The water should have normal salinity. For example, the Caspian and Black Seas are lightly salted, so sea urchins are not found in these waters.
These representatives live marine fauna at the bottom. They move with the help of special ambulacral legs. There are several hundred of them. The legs are long elastic processes. They have suction cups at the ends, so sea creature can crawl not only on horizontal, but also vertical surfaces.
An Aristotelian lantern also helps the hedgehog move. This is an oral chewing apparatus, found only in representatives of the correct subclass. On the outside it is marked by the tips of 5 long teeth. The structure of this organ is very complex, and it functions with the help of powerful muscles. They are the ones who control the work of teeth. With their help, the sea urchin scrapes off food located on the ground. This is the most diverse deep-sea vegetation. In addition, teeth grind food.
The muscles of the Aristotelian lantern are so strong that the animal can move along the ground, relying on its teeth. With the help of this device, the marine inhabitant destroys hard surfaces and digs holes for itself in granite rocks. They provide excellent shelter from a wide variety of predators. Representatives of the wrong subclass usually bury themselves in the sand or hide among algae.
Appearance
The body shape of sea urchins is spherical. The usual size is 6-12 cm. There are babies with sizes 2-3 cm. The most large views reach 36 cm in diameter. Body color matches all the colors of the rainbow. In some species, the color can adapt to the color of the soil. But the shape of the body is always constant, since it is covered with armored plates. They are rigidly connected to each other and serve as reliable protection from external damage. There are no plates only near the mouth and anus.
TO seabed One part of the animal's body is always facing, in the center of which is the mouth. On the opposite side is the anus. This is like the opposite pole, called aboral. Between them along the meridians there are rows of protective ambulacral plates. There are several dozen of them in each row. The plates have small holes through which the legs come out.
At the aboral pole, each plate is equipped with a small eye. And next to it is a larger plate. It contains sex cell. These plates surround the anus and make up the so-called apical field. And near the mouth opening there are gills. The animal's shell is dotted with numerous tubercles. Needles are attached to them through a special joint capsule, equipped with a very strong muscles. Thanks to them, the hedgehog can turn its needles in a variety of directions. The length of the needles reaches 1-3 cm, and the thickness is 1-2 mm. They are not very spicy.
Come across individual species with needles ranging from 10 to 30 cm in length. These natural spines help to move and protect during attack. Some species have poisonous needles. The sea urchin breathes using gills. The senses are very primitive. The irregular subclass does not have a chewing apparatus, since plankton predominates in the diet.
Reproduction and lifespan
Representatives of this class are dioecious. Females lay eggs in shallow water, and males fertilize them with their reproductive secretions. Some species living in Antarctic regions are viviparous. These individuals develop eggs in the brood chambers. A born hedgehog leaves its mother fully formed. Puberty occurs at the age of 3 years. Average duration life is 12-15 years. Centenarians can live up to 35 years.
Nutrition
Representatives of the subclass Not correct hedgehogs, as already mentioned, feed on plankton. But the right hedgehogs have the most varied diet. They consume mollusks, small crustaceans, various seaweed, plant and animal carrion. They also eat smaller classmates and starfish.
Enemies
At first glance, the sea urchin is well protected. But still he becomes prey big fish, birds and mammals. Loves to feast on the meat of this animal sea otter. She takes the hedgehog with her paws, throws it onto the coastal rocks and breaks the protective shell. Birds do the same. A large feathered predator grabs a hedgehog with its beak during low tide, rises high into the air and throws its prey onto the rocks. The soft pieces of the body are then pecked out.
Danger to humans
Some species of sea urchins have long, thin spines. If you step on them in water, you can get a serious foot injury. The matter is aggravated by the fact that the needle breaks when piercing the skin. The tip remains in the person's leg. If, in addition, the needle is poisonous, then the pain can be very severe and long-lasting. Some poisons can cause muscle paralysis, as well as disruption of the heart and breathing.
When providing assistance to a victim, the first thing to do is remove the needle fragments from under the skin and treat the wound with an antiseptic. After this, it is necessary to take the victim to the nearest medical center so that he can receive qualified assistance. In this case, it is possible that the victim may have problems breathing or cardiovascular system. In this case it is necessary artificial respiration, and sometimes cardiac massage. The most poisonous hedgehogs live in tropical and subtropical waters.
The history of the existence of sea urchins (lat. Echinoidea) - bottom-dwelling animals belonging to a broad class called "Echinoderms" - dates back more than five hundred million years. Their life cycle begins from the moment when the male throws a stream of sperm directly into the water, and the nearby female lays eggs right there. Fertilized eggs go through several stages of development and after about a month they turn into young hedgehogs with all the characteristics of an adult.
Sea urchins live in almost all seas and oceans and lead a bottom-dwelling lifestyle. The main condition for their comfortable existence is salty water, therefore, in such lightly salted seas as the Black and Caspian, you will not see them. The most dangerous species Poisonous sea urchins are found in the tropical waters of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans.
Based on the shape of the shell, which consists of many motionless calcareous plates, sea urchins are divided into regular and irregular. As the name suggests, regular hedgehogs have a round, symmetrical shell, while irregular ones have a flattened one. Very important organs for the sea urchin are attached to the shell - needles that can move in different directions and perform several functions at once - with their help, urchins move, protect themselves from predators and obtain food.
In some species the needles are almost invisible - no more than two millimeters, while in others the needles are long, about thirty centimeters, sometimes poisonous. The most common colors of sea urchins are purple and pink, less common are brown, green, black, white, and red.
Sea urchins, like other echinoderms, have a unique hydraulic system responsible for such vital important functions, like breathing, touch, movement and excretion. Hundreds of cylindrical tubes (legs) with suction cups at the end penetrate the shell of a sea urchin.
When filled with water, the legs stretch and attach to the nearest surface, then due to changes in pressure they contract again, and the animal moves. With the help of the lower legs, sea urchins burrow into the sand or clean the shell of food debris, and the upper ones serve as organs of touch and breathing.
The sea urchin's mouth, located on the underside of the body, is equipped with a special chewing apparatus called "Aristotle's lantern." This device is equipped with five jaws at once, each of which is crowned with a durable sharp tooth, which does not stop growing throughout the life of the sea urchin. Sea urchins use their unique jaws as a scraper, peeling algae from stones, crushing prey or digging holes.
Obtaining food for sea urchins does not present any particular difficulties - these omnivorous creatures are ready to swallow not only algae, mollusks, sponges, but also their own kind - small sea urchins and starfish. In turn, fish, birds, and lobsters will not refuse to feast on sea urchins.
Most chief hunter for sea urchins - sea otters. To avoid being injured by sharp needles, the sea otter wraps the hedgehog in seaweed or breaks it with a stone right on its chest. Hiding from predators, sea urchins climb into narrow crevices between stones, expanding them to the required depth with the help of needles and teeth.
Sea urchins cause problems for vacationers on the beaches of Cyprus, perhaps more often than any other dangerous inhabitants Mediterranean Sea. Meetings with sea urchins unpleasant consequences for both sides, unfortunately, is not uncommon. Mediterranean sea with salty and warm water- just a paradise for hedgehogs. They often form large clusters on inclined rock surfaces, starting from the shallowest water near the shore. A careless swimmer crawling ashore or wandering along the rocks along the water's edge risks stepping on, or even grabbing, a sea urchin. But there are no poisonous sea urchins in Cyprus.
Which beaches in Cyprus are at risk of contact with sea urchins? Jerzy not found on a sandy or pebble bottom(i.e. on civilized beaches), but they can be found in breakwaters among stones.
On the beaches of Ayia Napa or Protrars, you will not see a single hedgehog on the sandy bottom. But as soon as you step aside, to the stone edge of the bay, they will be right there. About wild beaches I won't even talk. In a word, where there are large stones and entire stone slabs, there are sea urchins.
A friend of mine had the classic experience of coming into contact with a hedgehog, stepping on the latter with his bare heel. And for some reason he really didn’t like it.
Whatdo, if you were unable to avoid close “communication” with a sea urchin?
The hedgehog's spines are very sharp and at the same time fragile. They easily penetrate the body and then break off just as easily. It is quite difficult to pull out the fragments, and since there is no talk about the sterility of hedgehog thorns, the affected area can fester. Sometimes the wound heals, and the broken thorn remains in the body, from where it can come out (or maybe remain in the body forever) several years later. Therefore, in hedgehog habitats, it is best to enter the water at rubber slippers.
If contact with the hedgehog cannot be avoided, you will most likely have to consult a doctor. Fortunately, first health care V state hospitals free.
If for some reason you cannot get to the hospital, then:
- soak your foot in very hot water (but don’t overdo it, it won’t burn you!), and then try to pull the needle out.
- Be sure to treat the affected area with an antiseptic. Constantly monitor that there is no suppuration.
I immediately warn gourmets, gourmets, as well as other lovers of delicious food: sea urchins, which live in abundance along the Cypriot coast of the Mediterranean Sea, are not eaten in Cyprus. They may be edible (who knows?), but none of the local restaurants serve hedgehogs. For delicacies you will have to go to France.
Many tourists who want to bring home some kind of souvenir from the Mediterranean Sea choose sea urchin as such. And they do it completely in vain. I won't talk about the fact that the hedgehog is still Living being, which should not be destroyed in vain.
There are two very compelling arguments against this kind of souvenir:
- A dead hedgehog is unlikely to smell like roses. Few people like the smell of rotten fish.
- The hedgehog's spines will first fall in disarray and the souvenir will be lost." marketable condition", and then they will completely fall off. As a result, you will get something black and foul-smelling.
Better look on seabed These are the amazing “shells” that amaze with their symmetry - the skeletons of sea urchins. They come in two colors: greenish, as in the picture, and gray-pink. They have already lost all smell and are safe to take with you. Just pack the “shells” properly so as not to break them. They are very fragile.
Great danger to scuba divers sea urchins, whose body often has a spherical shape. At one of the poles this ball is somewhat wrinkled - this is the oral side of the animal. The mouth opening is located here and echinoderms crawl along the bottom with this same side. The skeleton of sea urchins is more developed than that of other echinoderms. Only a small space near the mouth and around the anus, which is located on the dorsal side bodies. The surface of the skeletal plates is covered with numerous tubercles to which spines are attached.
Sea urchin spines- these are cylindrical dense calcareous sticks, movably intertwined with a skeleton-shell, which allows them to easily rotate in all directions. The needles perform not only a protective function, but sometimes also take part in the movement of the animal. The needles of some hedgehogs reach a length of up to 30 cm. Among the ordinary needles there are needles similar to tweezers, which are grasping organs. These modified tweezer needles are called. With their help, the sea urchin cleans its “suit”. Some tweezers play a protective role as they contain poisonous glands. The poison they secrete is quite strong. Converted into tweezers, the needles are somewhat shorter than ordinary ones, so when protecting, ordinary needles are retracted into different sides, opening poisonous devices and giving them the opportunity to act.
In some species of tropical sea urchins, some of the regular spines are also poisonous, since they also have a gland at the free end. About 80 species of marine echinoderms pose a danger to humans.
Scientists have differing opinions about whether the same animal has tweezer needles and ordinary needles. So, according to Halstead, one type of needle has either one or the other. Moreover, the scientist believes that although they write about the toxicity of ordinary needles in sea urchins, this has not been experimentally proven.
Among sea urchins the most numerous black sea urchins with long needles. They are common from East Africa to Polynesia, China, Japan. Similar species are found in the West Indies, near the Hawaiian Islands. Round sea urchin lives in waters from East Africa to Japan, Japanese sea urchin- in the waters of Japan, i.e. the habitat of sea urchins covers the tropical and subtropical regions of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The most dangerous and frequently encountered are the round sea urchin and the long-spined black sea urchin. Some sea urchins, particularly the long-spined black sea urchin, are quite beautiful in coloration. The needles of these animals are very sensitive. The sea urchin reacts quickly to the slightest change in conditions environment, and its needles are immediately directed towards the stimulus, which may be an unexpected strong movement of water caused by something or the shadow of a person accidentally falling on the animal.
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Modified needle-tweezers consist of two wings - parts. When defending against enemies, these doors open and then slam shut on the victim’s body. Their ends easily pierce the skin, introducing poison. Through the holes in the valve, a toxic liquid with a whitish color is released.
Injection sites where the ends hit poisonous needles sea urchin, they begin to itch, a strong burning sensation appears, the skin turns red, swells, and hurts. Loss of sensitivity may occur, even to muscle paralysis. Injections with pincer needles (pedicellariae) are more difficult to tolerate. According to a number of researchers, the toxins secreted by their glands act in a targeted manner, affecting nervous system. In addition to paralysis of motor muscles, respiratory distress may occur, which is very dangerous when working under water.
In the most severe cases, the person dies. There are known cases of people dying under water when, after being poisoned by sea urchins, they were unable to rise to the surface. In less severe cases of intoxication, pain decreases after about 15 to 20 minutes, and after three to four days other symptoms of poisoning disappear. True, after the pain disappears, symptoms of paralysis still persist (for 6 hours, and sometimes longer).
If sea urchins are affected by poison, measures must be taken to reduce the absorption of the poison. It is necessary to sharply limit the victim’s mobility, quickly remove needle fragments from the wounds and transport the victim to the hospital.