Small shark spotted in Romania’s Port of Constanța

A shark was filmed in the Port of Constanța, leading to worries about safety, but specialists quickly noted that the shark is too small to be dangerous.

According to biologist Adrian Bîlbă cited by News.ro, the shark is 90 centimeters long, feeds on small fish, lives on the seabed in deeper areas, and is entirely harmless. He also said that this shark does not come to the shore in summer because it does not like warm water, and in winter it does so for reproductive reasons.

"This shark, this spiny dogfish, Squalus acanthias, lives in deep, cooler waters, and doesn't really come to the shore because it does not like warm water. However, in winter it comes closer to shore mainly for reproductive reasons, pairs form, and it's important now for them to select each other, communicate, and reproduce. They sometimes come close to the shore and are also, sadly, fished during this period. According to the law, females must be released back into the water, only males can be kept," stated the biologist.

The spiny dogfish is a highly migratory species that can be also found in the subarctic waters of the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans and is the most common species of shark in the Black Sea. Other shark species, such as the small-spotted catshark, the bluntnose sixgill shark, and the common thresher shark, can also be spotted in the Black Sea.

The shark spotted in Constanța is one of the smallest on record for this species.

"The size until recently was a minimum of 120 centimeters, now it's 90 centimeters. It's a harmless, non-dangerous shark, one that feeds on small fish, lives on the seabed, especially in deeper areas, and does not bother us at all, but enriches the Black Sea and somehow is part of the tertiary level or the top of the food chain. So, we shouldn't worry, they are good, and they are healthy for the Black Sea, but unfortunately, they are fished and consumed by people. During this period when they come to reproduce, they are also unfortunately captured by fishermen, but fortunately, there is legislation that protects the females that give live birth and thus protects them and ensures the sustainability of the shark population," further stated biologist Adrian Bîlbă.

(Photo source: Loco Arcebal on Facebook)