Swimmer tells of 'biting fish' at French Mediterranean beach
Reports of bites from grey triggerfish that have powerful jaws of 22 teeth have made headlines several times in recent years
The grey triggerfish's bite is not venomous or life-threatening
Vladimir Wrangel / Shutterstock
The grey triggerfish, known in France as the poisson mordeur or biting fish, is back in the news after a swimmer received a bite in Juan-les-Pins on the Côte d'Azur.
A 73-year-old man, a regular visitor to the area, has told how he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his right leg while in shallow water earlier this month.
"Something bit me, I don't know what it was, but something bit me," he told local media Nice-Matin. The bite was painful and caused heavy bleeding.
He said he had not heard of the triggerfish, even though the species has made headlines along the Côte d'Azur for a number of summers.
For other regular visitors to the coast, however, the phenomenon is not new as similar incidents have been reported each summer for around six years.
In 2022, local resident Eric Desmet was scuba diving with his wife near Cannes when he managed to film a grey triggerfish in the water – one of the few recorded sightings of the species up close on the French Riviera.
The grey triggerfish (baliste capriscus) has a powerful jaw of 22 teeth, which it normally uses to crush molluscs, crustaceans, and sea urchins. Its bite is not venomous or life-threatening, but can cause wounds that need to be cleaned and disinfected to avoid infection.
The fish also turns aggressive in summer when water temperatures reach 24-25°C, a threshold that triggers its breeding season, according to Pascal Romans, curator at the Biodiversarium in Banyuls-sur-Mer (Pyrénées-Orientales).
It builds nests in the sand close to shore and fiercely defends the surrounding territory, chasing away and biting anything it perceives as a threat, including swimmers.
Not always the triggerfish
Pierre Gilles, a specialist at the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco, urges caution.
"It is a theme that comes up every year: people get nipped on the legs by small fish, but it is not necessarily the triggerfish," he said, noting he has only seen the species twice in hundreds of dives.
Other fish can also nip swimmers in the Mediterranean, including the oblade, the pataclet, and juvenile pompano (known locally as hirondelles). Jellyfish, weever fish, and stingrays also need to be watched out for.
Read also: Check local jellyfish levels near you in France with online tools
What to do if bitten
If you are bitten or stung while swimming, head to the nearest first-aid post.
For medical advice or in case of concerning symptoms, you can contact emergency services by calling 112 or 15.
The Marseille Poison Control Centre is also regularly contacted about such incidents during the summer.
However, experts stress there is no need to be afraid of the sea.
"If we didn’t have all these small fish species, we’d be worried," added Mr Gilles.
Read also: 112, 15, 17: Do you know the emergency numbers to use in France?
