Why are sand fleas dangerous? Karadag Nature Reserve Sea fleas.

These are the so-called sand fleas, or amphipods. They belong to the Talitridae family. These fleas are otherwise called beach fleas. Local residents have known about them for a long time, tourists only recently learned about them.

They are very small in size. Their length is only 1-2 mm, but they can jump up to 40 mm. Fleas are dark brown in color and look like shrimp - their body consists of separate segments. They are believed to belong to the same family as cat fleas. Insects do not have wings, but they have long legs.

Insect activity occurs in the evening and morning hours - at dawn or sunset. It is at this time that they bite more often.

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Where do they live?

Accumulations of fleas are often observed near seaweed and along the surf line. A swarm of fleas may make a sound similar to a quiet howl. If in silence you hear a sound that does not resemble the splashing of waves, it is better to leave the beach.

Why are they dangerous?

Both males and females bite humans. Males drink blood, leaving behind only the bite site and itching. A female's bite is fraught with more than just irritation. Females use humans as a source of blood necessary for reproduction.

The sea sand flea burrows into the skin and attaches itself to a blood vessel, feeding on the blood it needs to mature its eggs. At the same time, it increases and reaches the size of a pea. As soon as the eggs are ripe, she shoots them out of the wound and dies.

The remains of the female remain in the microscopic wound, which causes suppuration and severe pain. The disease caused by sand fleas in this way is called sarcopsillosis, or tungiasis.

Signs of a bite

The usual ones resemble a mosquito bite - both in the level of pain and in the consequences - itching, redness, and mild pain appear.

If we are talking about a sucking female, then the signs are different:

swollen red area of skin;
the presence of a white abscess;
the black dot in the center is the flea's abdomen;
strong pain.

Consequences of the meeting

In advanced cases, suppuration will lead to sepsis, blood poisoning and gangrene, which can even result in death. There are known cases of finger amputation after untreated flea bites.

Sea flea bites

A marine flea that lives on beaches, often bites limbs. At the same time, she loves the buttocks, groin area, spaces between the fingers, areas near the nails, and ankles.

Prevention of bites

To prevent the bloodthirsty sea flea from reaching its target, you should follow simple safety measures:

do not walk along the beach at sunrise and sunset and do not touch the algae;
do not walk barefoot on sand;
use sun loungers - do not sit or lie on the beach;
wear socks;
to be not on wild, but on sanitized cultural beaches;
Always wash your feet after walking.

Features of treatment

If a flea does bite, you should not treat its bite like a mosquito bite. If you find suspicious abscesses, lumps on the skin, inflammatory heads, especially those accompanied by pain, you must go to the hospital where the flea will be removed. You can't try to pull it out yourself, like encephalitis tick, pouring oil on the flea. The body of a flea is very fragile, it can break, and its particles will remain in the wound, causing more and more suppuration.

Can be used for itching antihistamines and any anesthetic cream. The good old remedies also help a lot - a compress with soda.

It is important not to scratch the bites to avoid infection.

Sand flea under the skin (video)

Sea fleas They are very small in size, so they are not easy to see. Their length is about 1 mm. They can make long jumps of up to 30-40 mm. They do not have wings, but they have long legs that allow them to make long jumps.

Benefits for the ecology of the beach

Scientists have proven that fleas clean sand naturally. They do this by consuming microorganisms that live in it. In the evening, crawling out of the shelter, they clean the coastal waters. Their front legs have sacs that allow them to breathe oxygen.

Gammarus is not as terrible for humans as it seems. Subject to simple measures be careful, it will not cause harm.

Harm from sea fleas to humans

Sea fleas can drink human blood. Both females and males can bite. After the bite of a male, a mark remains, as if from mosquito bite. Females can be compared to ticks. They penetrate the skin and attach to blood vessels in order to carry eggs.

Signs that a female has bitten: the bitten area swells, a white abscess appears, pain is present, the bite site is marked in the center black dot- This is the abdomen of the female.

The danger of sea fleas

The most common areas of bites are the buttocks, groin, lower limbs, feet, and the space between the fingers.

Treatment of sea flea bites

To alleviate the condition after a sea flea bite, you can use the following remedies:

Do not scratch the bite site, as this can lead to skin infection.
Take a shower. After discovering that you have been stung by sea fleas, you must first remove your swimsuit. Then take a shower. Some people make the mistake of showering in their bathing suit. The larvae still remain on it and continue to sting the person. To prevent rashes, wipe the swimsuit with alcohol or vinegar, then wash with detergent and dry.
Using vinegar and alcohol. These products are often used to relieve sea itch. It is necessary to moisten a cotton ball in vinegar and apply it to the sore spot. Do not wash off; skin must air dry. Taking a vinegar bath will also help. Alcohol diluted with water will help neutralize toxins.
Using cold compresses. Several ice cubes are wrapped in a towel and applied to the affected areas. This procedure is performed until the symptoms subside. It is also possible to wet a washcloth in cold water and apply to sore spots.
Apply calamine lotion. It will help reduce itching sensations. A small amount of lotion is applied to the affected area with gentle movements. It is necessary to consult a doctor before applying this lotion if it is planned to be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding, as well as for children under six months. It is also possible to use hydrocortisone ointment to relieve itching. It is used with caution in children under 10 years of age.
Taking a bath. To relieve redness and reduce itching, you can take a bath with baking soda. To do this, pour one glass of soda into a bath with warm water and spend from half an hour to one hour in it. You can mix 3 parts baking soda with one part water and stir them to form a thick paste. It is applied to the affected area and left on it for 30 minutes. Then the soda is washed off. It is also possible to take an oatmeal bath. Oatmeal contains antioxidants that will calm you down. skin covering. To prepare such a bath, you will need to pour two glasses of oatmeal into a bath of warm water. In order not to aggravate the situation, you should not make the water in the bath hot.
Application of preparations with aloe vera. Aloe is used to treat many skin diseases. It will soften the skin and reduce irritation and itching.
Usage essential oil. Oils such as: tea tree, cedar oil, lavender oil. The oil is applied directly to the skin. To prevent irritation from the oil, it is mixed with a base oil.
Use of non-steroidal and anti-inflammatory drugs. For example, ibuprofen, aspirin. They will get rid of inflammatory process and discomfort.

Possible consequences of a bite

In addition to itching and discomfort after a sea flea bite, the following symptoms may be present in particularly severe cases: fever, chills, nausea, headaches, red eyes.

There are several simple rules, following which you can prevent unpleasant consequences:

The times when fleas are active are early in the morning and after sunset. During this period, you should not walk along the beach.
The habitats of gammarus are algae that are washed ashore.
You cannot walk barefoot on the beach. It is necessary to use special beach shoes.
It is better to lie on the beach in a sun lounger.
Before going to the beach, it is better to spray yourself with a special fly spray.
It is better to spend your holidays in those places that are a beach area.
After visiting the beach, you need to carefully examine your body. Special attention worth paying attention to your feet.

In total, more than two thousand species of fleas have been described.
Entomologist Charles Rothschild collected a collection of fleas. It is kept in a museum in Britain.
When a flea hatches from an egg, it immediately begins to look for a host to live on. Usually this is one of the mammals.
Fleas have the ability to transmit infectious diseases from one to another.
Gammarus goes through 4 stages in life: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
Flea saliva contains substances that can cause severe allergic reactions.
The eggs mature in about 7 days.
The lifestyle of Gammarus is semi-terrestrial. They spend time in the area near the shore and on deep sea. At the same time, they always try to get out onto land.
Wash your feet after walking on the beach.

Difficult childhood

ON THIS TOPIC

Our hero was born in 1953 in Beijing in the family of party official Xi Zhongxun. My father was an ally of Mao Zedong and at one time quickly moved up the career ladder. In 1959, he took the post of deputy chairman of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, effectively becoming the second person in the state.

Mao's "Great Leap Forward" policy Chinese version Soviet industrialization completely failed. A number of influential party officials were accused of the failure, including the father of the future head of the PRC. Soon, Zhongxun's family was branded as "counter-revolutionaries", exiled to the provinces and sentenced to the dirtiest work - tending a pigsty.

Already in adulthood, Xi Jinping recalled those terrible years. His constant companions were hunger, cold and beatings from the guards. “For almost seven years, my home was a dirty barn with pigs. I slept on a bed made of bricks, covered with an old blanket that was infested with fleas. I drank from the same bucket with the pigs,” the head of the PRC said about the most terrible period of his life.

Unsuccessful marriage

A bright spot in the Xi family came with the death of Mao in 1976 and the rise to power of the reformer Deng Xiaoping. The new leader rehabilitated most of the victims of repression, including the family of the future chairman. Xi Jinping returns to Beijing and enters university.

Soon he began to think about marriage. Xi Jinping took a liking to Ke Seoming, the daughter of the Chinese ambassador to Great Britain, one of the main beauties of that time. The girl reciprocated and the young people got married, receiving a luxury apartment in a prestigious area of Beijing as a gift.

Unfortunately, the marriage turned out to be unhappy. Elegant and educated, Ke, who grew up in London, was burdened by life in China, so after several years of marriage, she left her husband and went back to England. Xi Jinping, who by that time was actively moving up the party ladder, resigned from all posts and asked to be sent to work in a remote province as punishment.

Rise to Power

The high results achieved by Xi in his new place of work, as well as his father’s acquaintance with Deng Seoping, led the future head of the PRC to his first high position - he became the mayor of the city of Zhengding. In three years, Xi turned it into a tourist center and raised the well-being of the townspeople.

Xi was considered a likely successor as head of state at the beginning of the 2000s. The then Chinese President Hu Jintao chose from four people: in addition to Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Zhou Yongkang and Chen Liangyu were considered for the top post.

The latter's positions were the strongest, but he made a number of careless steps, including allowing himself to criticize the party leadership. The investigation against Chen Liangyu was conducted personally by Xi Jinping, which ultimately ended in 18 years in prison. The road to power was cleared.

Fights with chairs

Xi Jinping's rise to political Olympus was preceded by a mysterious story. A month before the November 2012 party congress, at which he was elected general secretary, Xi suddenly disappeared. Many meetings were cancelled, including with then-US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The influential American newspaper Washington Post shed light on the disappearance of the politician. The publication wrote that the reason was a fight that occurred at a meeting between Xi and his opponent Zhou Yongkang. The heated conversation eventually escalated into a fight, where the future head of state was hit with a chair. To hide the injuries he had suffered, he had to withdraw from the public eye for some time. True, there is no confirmation of the information voiced by the newspaper.

The hated Winnie the Pooh

Under Xi Jinping, Chinese censorship has taken on Winnie the Pooh. The reason many say is the external similarity of the popular cartoon character to the chairman. In 2017, posts that mentioned the bear cub were cut from Sina Weibo (the Chinese equivalent of Twitter), and stickers with the bear cub disappeared from messengers.

Historically, two things were prohibited in China - political organization and political activity, experts say. “But now a third has been added to the list: talk about the chairman,” Qiao Mu, a professor of media communications at Beijing Foreign Studies University, was quoted by the media as saying.

Animal and vegetable world on the seabed of the reserve is very diverse. Any rocks, stones, sand, silt under water are inhabited by various living creatures. Despite the relatively small area the marine part of the reserve (809 hectares) on land at the very edge of the water, where waves only periodically wash the shore, dozens of species live in the splash zone. The number of crustaceans - amphipods can number tens of thousands on one square meter. Small amphipods, called sea fleas for their jumping ability, are especially numerous. They accumulate in masses under the algae thrown up by the sea, and if disturbed, they quickly scatter under any nearby shelter. Sea fleas are completely harmless to humans, but the seas play a big role in life. By consuming decomposing algae, these crustaceans play the role of orderlies, cleaning the coastal area from excessive pollution. A bright representative An animal that prefers to live on the border between water and land is the marbled crab. Its shell reaches 4.5 cm in width. The crab quickly runs from one stone to another, hides in cracks and tries to hide when a person approaches. These crustaceans, like other crabs, are orderlies, since they eat the decaying remains of animals, thereby providing an invaluable service to the reserve and to humans. The number of crabs and shrimps on Karadag includes 28 species out of 38 known for the entire Black Sea.

On hard soils, a community of algae and various animals forms, which hydrobiologists call fouling. Until recently, the most colorful and widespread animals were mussels - bivalve mollusks, whose almost black shells often covered the surface of stones and rocks in the reserve with a dense brush. In the 80s of the last century, the largest mussels in the Black Sea were found on the Golden Gate rock. Mussel shell valves can reach a length of 10 cm or more. The mussel filters through its gill apparatus sea water, while trapping phytoplankton organisms and various small food particles that constitute their main food. From one square meter of solid substrate, mussels are filtered and purified to 20 cubic meters water per day. These mollusks are the most powerful living filter of the Black Sea.

In addition to mussels and other bivalves, sea water is purified by other organisms - for example, sponges that resemble appearance lumps different color. There are 8 known species of them in the reserve. Tunicates, similar to jugs up to 6 cm in size with two holes at the top, also filter water.

Mussels and other bivalves are attacked by the rapana snail. This is the largest gastropod with a beautiful shell in the Black Sea; its shell length can reach 15 cm. It was first discovered in the Black Sea in the 50s of the last century. Rapana is a valuable commercial species and is actively caught by divers along the entire coast of Crimea. Interesting life cycle this snail. In winter, they burrow into the sand, and in the summer, in July - August, they accumulate in groups for reproduction at a depth of several meters and even near the surface on rocks. Rapana is a favorite delicacy for gourmets.

Rapana - an invader in the Black Sea

The largest crab of the Black Sea is the stone crab or erithia. The color of the shell of this crab is bright red-brown. The width of its shell reaches 10 cm. The stone crab is an orderly of the sea. By eating various decaying remains, these crabs help maintain the purity of water. In addition to the stone crab, a small crab, the pilumnus, is often found among the mussels. The shell of this crab is brightly colored Crimson and, despite its small size, the pilumnus “pinches” quite noticeably.

Stone crab

Often on stones and cliffs you can see small “flowers” on short thick legs, reminiscent of asters. These are primitive animals - sea anemones. They are relatives of the famous corals, but unlike the latter they do not have a hard exoskeleton. These unusual animals are predators. Many exposed poisonous tentacles catch various small animals who are careless to touch them. Sea anemones are not the only representatives of these animals in the Black Sea. Very similar to sea anemone but smaller in size and more graceful is the small sessile jellyfish - alfalfa. It resembles a tiny glass with fringe around the edges. Lucernaria is very demanding on the purity of water, so its distribution in the Black Sea is limited.

sea anemone

Despite the relatively small area of the marine part of the reserve, it is home to a surprising number of animals and plants. Thus, more than half of the species of polychaete worms of the polychaete class are found in the reserve - 101 species out of 192 for the entire Black Sea! A striking representative of this group is the perinereis worm, reaching a length of 10 cm. Living perinereis is red-brown in color with a metallic sheen. They feed on plant debris, although small crustaceans, a harpacticide, are found in its intestines. The fertility of perinereis is high - more than 400 thousand eggs per 1 female. Worms - polychaetes, oligochaetes, nematodes - are an important link in the food web of the sea, playing a significant role in the fragile balance of living things.

Small organisms, approximately 1 mm to 1 cm long, play a major role in maintaining balance in the reserve. Reaching colossal numbers, they become an important part of the food of many commercial fish species and an important link in the cycle of life. Imagine that on the rocks of Karadag, in an area of 1 square meter, you can count up to hundreds of thousands of small crustaceans of only one species. And in terms of the number of species of small animals there are incomparably more than large ones. Some of these tiny creatures are quite interesting in appearance and lifestyle. So, for example, the small crustacean sea goat is so unusual in body shape that sometimes it is difficult to recognize it as an animal and not a plant. The males of these creatures have a poisonous spike on their claw, which they use to kill prey or use to protect the female from a rival. But due to their small size (only up to 12 mm), sea goats are completely harmless to humans.

If we pay attention to the sandy clearing at the bottom, then at first glance it will seem that there are incomparably fewer inhabitants there than on the rocks. Actually this is not true. Inhabitants of loose soils - pebbles, sand, silt, for the most part burrow into the ground or hide between individual stones. After all, if you’re a little lazy, you’ll soon end up with some fish or crab for lunch. A striking representative of such a burrowing fauna is the crayfish - the mole upogebia with a shell length of up to 6 cm. These crayfish burrow into the ground and, swimming with a mask above the bottom, it is possible to see only their burrows. The body shape of the upogebia is unusual and somewhat resembles a praying mantis insect. Crayfish-moles build their holes in such a way that there are two exits and in case of danger they can jump out from the other side. Therefore, it is very difficult to catch them.

Another large representative of sandy-silty soils is the bivalve mollusk anadara, a recent invader in the Black Sea. Anadara, like higher animals, has red blood and is able to withstand very harsh conditions a habitat. Like many large bivalves, the anadara is a commercial target in some countries.

Anadara - an invader in the Black Sea

Especially many different small animals accumulate on the sand if there are accumulations of torn algae, knocked into heaps by waves and currents. Such accumulations attract crustaceans, snails, various worms and fish, which readily feast on numerous prey. On one square meter of sandy bottom, covered with accumulations of torn algae, you can count tens of thousands of different small inhabitants.

A very interesting representative of the sand fauna is the swimming crab with a shell width of up to 4 cm. Its hind legs are flattened, which allows it to swim quite successfully and spread to other territories. Among the real crabs off the coast of Karadag, you can occasionally find a sea spider - a long-legged long-beaked, or macropodia, which has maximum dimensions up to 31 mm. Representatives of this genus live mainly in warm seas.

Long-legged long-beaked sea spider

On the sandy bottom of Karadag, even bivalves can float slightly above the ground, moving by jumping. This is how the famous scallops behave, popularly called “crown” for their distant resemblance to this object. Scallops are surprisingly varied in color: red, brown, bright yellow with multi-colored patterns. Unfortunately, these bivalves up to 5.5 cm in length have become very scarce in the coastal waters of Crimea and the waters of the Karadag Nature Reserve, for reasons that are still unclear.

Source : Grintsov V.A. Fauna of the seabed // Karadag Reserve: Popular Science Essays / Ed. A.L. Morozova. - Simferopol: N. Orianda, 2011. - P. 172-177.

An incredible number of animals can be found in Anapa, not only under water, but also under stone pebbles and even deep in the coastal sand. Raking small pebbles with their hands, many have more than once noticed the life teeming beneath them. The most noticeable and by no means useless creatures will happily jump and fuss if you lift any stone on the beach. Meet these amphipods, an integral part of the wildlife of the Black Sea coast, which forms the basis of the diet of most fish and crabs. Let's take a closer look at them.

Appearance

Amphipod crustaceans are multi-legged crustaceans, and this can be easily verified by looking at the limbs of our inhabitant. The structure of each pair of crustacean legs is different and serves for a variety of purposes; we can say that the legs of an amphipod are one universal folding knife. The first pair with pseudo claws is designed for holding and crushing food, the next pair of legs is adapted for swimming, the other legs are for running, and where would we be without legs for jumping. It is difficult to notice such a metamorphosis in the structure, because amphipods in Anapa reach a size of 5 - 10 millimeters. For a good inspection you will need a magnifying glass or microscope.
Another feature of the microcrustacean is the absence of a main shell, a shield protecting the body from above; all the protection of the amphipod is soft segments. The body of the crustacean is hunched and compressed from the sides to make it easier to get between the stones. In Anapa you can find amphipods with gray and brown tints; their protective colors help protect them from predators. The lifespan of a small animal is one to two years.

Habits

The short life of the amphipod pushes the crustacean towards active reproduction. A variety of local crustaceans has female and male representatives of the genus. As soon as the water temperature allows mating games to begin, the amphipods actively mate, and the couple can swim for a day, merging in ecstasy. At this time, the male transfers his seed to the bride into a special bag, where the eggs develop. It is in this same pouch that babies grow up and leave their mother’s womb after the first molt.

Local amphipods are beach nurses whose favorite food is animal corpses and rotting algae. Feeding and other active life of the crustacean begins at night. During the daytime, the sea is teeming with predators who are not averse to eating crustaceans, so at this time it is better to sit out in the ground or under pebbles.

Scientists who study the life of amphipods have discovered the unique ability of these tiny animals to navigate by light. Crayfish have a well-developed “biological clock”; they know when day turns to night, based on the direction and intensity of light. Remembering in which direction the salt lick shines from the shore, amphipods begin their movement towards the water.

Researchers found interesting feature sex distribution in young crustaceans. Experiments have shown that the sex of the new amphipod offspring closely depends on the water temperature in Anapa. If the fry develop in cooler water, then male amphipods are born; if the water is warmer than normal, expect females.

Locals call amphipods sea fleas. This name stuck to the harmless creatures because of their ability to jump. Sensing danger, small crustaceans begin to sharply contract and push off the ground with their paws, performing rapid acceleration. For tourists who vacation in Anapa, these flights reminded the life of an earthly bloodsucker, but amphipods are absolutely harmless to humans.

Where to see in Anapa.

The method for detecting amphipods on the beach is very simple. On the pebble, you need to find a bunch of old algae. Having lifted the soft remains, the worried amphipods will immediately begin to rush and jump, sensing danger, because the day for the amphipods is a time of rest. Usually the small crustacean is used for bait when fishing, not Black Sea fish.