Poisonous sharks found in London’s River Thames

(CNN) – The famous london river it’s more exciting than we thought. Seahorses, eels, seals and poisonous sharks have been discovered in the Thames, according to the results of a “health check.”

A study by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) revealed “positive news” for wildlife and ecosystem recovery, the society reported Wednesday.

In 1957, the river in the capital was declared “biologically dead”.

But now surprising creatures have been found, such as sharks, among which are the dogfish, caella and spiny dogfish, a thin fish about 60 centimeters tall and covered in poisonous spines.

Spiny dogfish are found in deep water, and the spines in front of the shark’s two dorsal fins secrete a venom that can cause pain and swelling in humans.

The dogfish, like the one shown here in a stock photo, can reach two meters in length.
blickwinkel / Alamy Stock Photo

The dogfish, which feeds on fish and crustaceans and can reach 1.8 meters and weigh up to 48 kilos, has never launched an unprovoked attack on humans, according to the British organization Wildlife Trusts.

For its part, the caella shark, also known as the toothed musole, which can measure up to 1.2 meters and weigh 11 kilos, feeds mainly on crustaceans, shellfish and mollusks.

However, the number of fish species found in the river’s tidal zones has shown a slight decline, and conservation scientists have warned that more research is needed to understand why.

Stock image of a caella shark. These sharks feed mainly on shellfish and crustaceans. (Photo: Pally / Alamy Stock Photo)

This 346-kilometer river, which is home to more than 115 species of fish and 92 species of birds, faces threats from pollution and climate change, ZSL warned.

The river also provides clean water, food, livelihoods, and protection from coastal flooding to surrounding communities.

Climate change has raised the temperature of the Thames by 0.2⁰C a year on average, ZSL said, warning that this “paints a worrying picture” when combined with rising sea levels.

The water level has risen since monitoring began in 1911 in the tidal section of the Thames, rising by some points by 4 millimeters per year on average since 1990.

“As water temperatures and sea levels continue to rise above historical benchmarks, the estuary’s wildlife will be particularly affected, through changes in the life cycles and ranges of the estuaries. species, “ZSL warned in a statement.