A beachgoer has issued a warning after discovering a ‘dangerous’ fish lurking in the sand.
Louis, from Norfolk, was walking along the beach with his wife and toddler when he saw the glint of fish scales along the shore.
He found a little weever buried in the sand, perfectly positioned for an innocent beachgoer to accidentally set foot on the creature.
The fish is often seen at low tide and has venomous spines on its dorsal fins and gills that can pierce the skin and release poison.
Pieterman can be found throughout Europe and in the coastal waters around the UK.
They often like to burrow into the sand to camouflage themselves, and while not fatal in most cases, the sting can cause ‘excruciating pain’, similar to childbirth.
Pieterman often likes to dig in the sand and camouflage himself, and while not fatal in most cases, his sting can cause ‘excruciating pain’, similar to childbirth.
Louis picked up the fish by its tail fin and took it back to the ocean, where the fish was hidden under a pile of sand.
The Englishman regretted picking up the fish as soon as it started to squirm.
‘Why did I do this? Watch me get a rash tomorrow,” he said.
He was originally unaware of the creature’s true nature, claiming that he was “lucky” and would have “never” picked it up had he known.
The British Sea Fishing website provides an overview of what the sting is like and how long you can expect the pain to last.
It reads: ‘Once the weever’s spines pierce the skin, the venom is released. At first, the only pain will be from the wound to the flesh, but soon the venom begins to cause pain that can be excruciating.
“For about two hours, the body part that was stung will turn red, become inflamed, and swell. There may also be extreme numbness and, in extreme cases, local paralysis for a short time.
“Usually the pain starts to subside after a few hours and should be gone within 12 to 24 hours. Further complications will arise if the spines have broken off in the wound, as they may need to be removed before the pain will subside.”
Many shared ‘nightmare’ experiences after meeting the fish – hundreds described it as the ‘worst pain imaginable’.
“I stood on it barefoot and felt like my foot was on fire for hours,” one man wrote. “I couldn’t stand on it or walk or anything.”
One mother said, ‘I’ve had two kids with no pain relief, I’d really go for a third before I experience the pain of standing on one of these again!’
“I actually thought I was going to die when I stepped on a Weever,” another wrote. “There is no worse pain.”