Trachinus draco (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms: None.

Common names: Engl: Greater weever; Bulg: Morski drakon; Russ: Morskoy drakon; Turk: Trakonya.

Order (Scientific): PERCIFORMES.

Family (Scientific): TRACHINIDAE.

Taxonomic descriptions: D V-VII 28-32; A II 27-31; P 14-17; V I 5. Scales in lateral series 77-85; Vertebrae 40-41 Svetovidov, 1964). Body is elongated, laterally compressed. Eyes disposed dorsally, and interorbital distance very small. Size: to 40 cm.

Trachinus draco arealIUCN Status:
    World level:
    Black Sea Regional level:
    Subregion level: CE

Distribution: Mediterranean, Adriatic, Black Sea, eastern Atlantic from Norway to Morocco and Madeira (Tortonese, 1986). In Bulgaria: vary rare along entire Black Sea coast.

Habitats type, Critical habitats, Limiting factors: Littoral and benthic; on sandy, muddy or gravel bottoms; on sandy; breach of the hydro-chemical regime.

Biology: Reproduction: June-September; eggs and larval stages pelagic. Food: small invertebrates and fishes.

Population trends: Declining..

Threats: Breach of the hydro-chemical regime.

Conservation measures taken: None.

Conservation measures proposed: Improving the parity of the water.

References:

  1. Svetovidov, A. 1964. The fishes of the Black Sea. Publ. House “Science”, M.-L., 550 pp.
  2. Tortonese, E. 1986. Fishes of the North-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean., v. 2: 953.

Compiled by: K. Prodanov, Y. Sivkov.