Shark 'Bukang-i' Identified as Endangered Species After Close-Up Footage Analysis

The shark known as "Bukang-i," which has been staying long-term for 19 days in the artificial waterway of the Bukhang Waterfront Park in Busan, has been finally identified as a dusky shark.

The National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS) announced today (October 6) that Bukang-i has been definitively confirmed to be a dusky shark.

When Bukang-i first entered the artificial waterway, NIFS had initially presumed it to be either a bull shark or a dusky shark.

After analyzing close-up video footage to determine the exact species, NIFS confirmed the external characteristics of a dusky shark, notably the distinct ridge developed between the first and second dorsal fins.

While bull sharks and dusky sharks are difficult to distinguish visually, they can be separated by the presence of a ridge between the first and second dorsal fins, which dusky sharks have and bull sharks lack.

As a large shark species, the dusky shark also features a broad and rounded snout, along with triangular upper teeth with developed serrations.

At birth, their body length is about 70 – 100 cm, and they grow up to a maximum of 4.2 meters.

They are widely distributed from coastal waters to the open sea in tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters worldwide, including the coastal waters of South Korea. They mainly prefer water temperatures of 18 – 26°C and migrate long distances according to water temperature changes.

Their diet consists of fish and squid. While there are no studies yet on the dietary sources of dusky sharks inhabiting the North Pacific, dusky sharks off the coast of Australia are known to prey on mackerels, horse mackerels, and sardines.

On the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, they are classified as Endangered (EN) due to population declines.

In the case of Bukang-i, its body length was confirmed to be about 3 meters, and it was identified as a female based on the shape of its reproductive organs on its belly.

NIFS plans to continue monitoring Bukang-i's swimming behavior and health status, and if any abnormal signs occur, cooperate with related agencies such as the Busan Metropolitan Government to respond.

Despite two attempts by rescue authorities to guide it back to the open sea, Bukang-i continues to remain in the waterway.

Rescue authorities have decided to wait for a while without rescue operations, allowing Bukang-i to leave the waterway on its own.

Meanwhile, visitors who came to see Bukang-i surpassed 1 million yesterday (October 5).


(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.