Traumatic finger amputation caused by Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789) bite

01/02/2020 Arda Tonay

Traumatic finger amputation caused by Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789) bite

Selin Gamze Sümen, Murat Bilecenoğlu

Department of Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine, Kartal Dr.Lutfi Kirdar Training and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences, Istanbul, TURKEY
Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts & Sciences, Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, TURKEY

Abstract

Marine animal attacks and bites are rarely encountered in Turkey. The invasive alien silver-cheeked toadfish, Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789), is continuously growing in population and hence becoming increasingly tempted closer ashore especially during the summer months. Infamous with its highly toxic flesh, the species is also capable of inflicting severe bites with its quite strong beak-like teeth. We present the first case of a traumatic amputation caused by L. sceleratus bite in a child who eventually lost the distal part of her finger, in an incident occurred at the northern Levant shore of Turkey.

Key words: Lagocephalus sceleratus, trauma, fish bite, Mediterranean Sea

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References

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