SUMMARY

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=115 BGCOLOR="#66CCCC" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03500730ezvthe.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#CCFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>The wonders of the weeverfish ( T.vipera )</B></FONT><B>|   </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Wonders of the Weeverfish (Trachinus vip"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="wonders_of_the_weeverfish_trachinus_vipera_.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND PROJECT "><U>   ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND PROJECT  </U></A>   |   <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="PROJECT INTRODUCTION "><U>PROJECT INTRODUCTION    </U></A>   |   <B>SUMMARY</B>   |   <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="DISCUSSION"><U>DISCUSSION</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id8.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Author."><U>Contact Author.</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id12.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Light Microscopy"><U>Light Microscopy</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id13.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Electron Micrographs"><U>Electron Micrographs</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="OVERVIEW"><U>OVERVIEW</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Medical Treatment"><U>Medical Treatment</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=365 BGCOLOR="#66CCCC" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>SUMMARY</B></div> <div> The points raised in this project concern the structure of the Opercular spine and associated venom glands of the Lesser weever fish (<I><B>T.vipera</B></I>). The methods used were basic histological methods combined with the use of a scanning electron microscope. The venom gland was found to be made up of two parts situated at the base of the Opercular spine and a short way up the spine (see fig 1 (venom glands arrowed))</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="06799700.jpg" border=0 width="153" height="112" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <U>Fig 1</U></div> <bR> <div> Both venom glands were a mass of large globular venom cells which contained the venom surrounded by the outer membrane. </div> <bR> <div> The Opercular spine (see fig 2) was also found to be made up of two distinct parts; the spine itself and a large Opercular plate with various muscle attachment points along with two basal grooves which accommodate the venom glands. </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="OVERVIEW"><U><IMG SRC="06997640.jpg" border=0 width="151" height="100" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <U>Fig 2</U></div> <bR> <div> The spine was found to have a layered structure similar to that of a laminated board.</div> <bR> <div> The protein stain used (Bromophenol blue) indicated that the venom was protein based due to the uptake of the stain both inside the glandular cells and outside (exuded cell contents due to the damage during preparation of slides). The spine also stained blue indicating the spine contained some element of protein.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>More info.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Distribution of The lesser weever fish.</B></div> <div> <I><B>Trachinus vipera.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B>Length: </B><14 cm when adult</div> <bR> <div> <B>Habitat and distribution: </B>Often buried in sand, from shallow water down to 100m, The weever is found in Mediterranean, Atlantic, English channel and North sea.</div> <bR> <div>             <IMG SRC="05587b80.jpg" border=0 width="391" height="184" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Family name: </B>Trachinidae</div> <bR> <div> <B>Related Species: </B></div> <bR> <div> <I>Trachinus draco </I></div> <div> <I> (</I>The great weeve<I>r)</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Trachinus radiatus & T.araneus</I></div> <div> <I> (Southern weevers)</I></div> <div> <I>                                </I></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Want more information on all members of the family ?????? Click on:</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>  </B><A HREF="id56.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Trachinidae Family"><U><B>Trachinidae  Family</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B>Interested in other Venomous fish then click on:</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id57.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dangerous spines"><U><B>Dangerous spines</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B>References</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Allman g.j (1840): </B>On the stinging property of the Lesser weever (<I>Trachinus vipera</I>)</div> <div> Ann mag. Nat Hist 6: p161-165</div> <bR> <div> <B>Drummond W.H (1840): </B>Essay on the life and writings of Oppian DD MRIA</div> <div> Transactions of Royal Irish Academy</div> <bR> <div> <B>Parker w.n. f.z.s (1888): </B>On the poison-organs of Trachinus</div> <div> Zoo. Soc of London: p359-367</div> <bR> <div> <B>Skeie E (1962): </B>The venom organs of the Weeverfish (<I>Trachinus draco</I>)</div> <div> Medd fra danmarks fiskeri 3: p327 - 338</div> <bR> <div> <B>Skeie E (1962b): </B>Weeverfish toxin, Some Physiochemical and Immunological Observations.</div> <div> Acta path et microbial scand: p229-238</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>FOR A LIST OF BOOKS USED IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE REFERENCES TO PREPARE THIS WEB SITE GO TO:</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id61.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BOOKS I FOUND USEFUL"><U><B>BOOKS I FOUND USEFUL</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B> <iframe width="120" height="213" scrolling="no" frameborder=0 src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=wondersofthewe0e&l=st1&search=Marine%20Biology&mode=books-uk&p=6&o=2&f=ifr"> <table border='0' cellpadding='0' cellspacing='0' width='120' height='150'><tr><td><MAP NAME='boxmap6'><AREA SHAPE='RECT' COORDS='30, 139, 86, 149' HREF='http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=2' target=_top alt='Information'><AREA COORDS='0,0,10000,10000' HREF='http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/redirect/172-6453696-5629169?path=tg/browse/-/502584&tag=wondersofthewe0e&creative=@CCMID@&camp=@CAMPID@&link_code=@LINKCODE@' target=_top ></MAP><img src="http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/G/02/associates/recommends/120x150.gif" width=120 height=150 border="0" usemap="#boxmap6" access=regular></td></tr></table></iframe>  </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>OR CLICK ON ONE OF THE FOLLOWING FOR SOMETHING NEW.</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id67.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="SITE INDEX"><U><IMG SRC="3128bd30.jpg" border=0 width="139" height="211" ALT="SITE INDEX LINK" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B>Other pages of interest.</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id72.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Marine photographs"><U>Marine photographs</U></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Symbol" >   ·   </FONT><A HREF="id87.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Marine Environments"><U>Marine Environments</U></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Symbol" >   ·   </FONT><A HREF="id131.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rockpools"><U>Rockpools</U></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Symbol" >   ·   </FONT><A HREF="id94.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="SANDY SHORE"><U>SANDY SHORE</U></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Symbol" >   ·   </FONT><A HREF="id143.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Movies"><U>Movies</U></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Symbol" >   ·   </FONT><A HREF="id97.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="MUD SHORE"><U>MUD SHORE</U></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Symbol" >   ·   </FONT><A HREF="id134.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Man Made"><U>Man Made</U></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Symbol" >   ·   </FONT><A HREF="id150.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Marine Colonisation"><U>Marine Colonisation</U></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Symbol" >   ·   </FONT><A HREF="id117.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ZONATION"><U>ZONATION</U></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Symbol" >   ·   </FONT><A HREF="id140.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Q A"><U>Q & A</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>