About Trachinus araneus Cuvier, 1829
The spotted weever, scientifically named Trachinus araneus, is a fish species that belongs to the family Trachinidae, order Perciformes, and class Actinopterygii. It can reach a maximum length of 45 centimeters. Its head and back are colored brown and yellow, while its underside is paler, with darker spots running along its sides. It has a long, laterally flattened body, and its mouth sits almost vertically on the head. The front half of its first dorsal fin is black, and this fin holds three highly poisonous spines. The backward-facing spines on the tips of the gill covers are also venomous. The spotted weever lives close to the seabed, at depths down to approximately 100 meters. It favors a subtropical climate, found within the latitude range 45°N to 18°S and longitude range 19°W to 36°E. Its geographic distribution extends from Portugal to Angola, and it is also present in the Mediterranean Sea. This species has only minor commercial importance. It lives in shallow waters down to around 100 meters depth, in areas near rocks and adjacent seagrass, and burrows into the seabed. Like other weever species, the spotted weever feeds on small fish and crustaceans.
