In Neum, discovered marine organisms that few believed lived in BiH sea

Bosnian-Herzegovinian scientist and member of the European Association for the Study of Cartilaginous Fishes Andrej Gajić discovered marine organisms in Neum that no one assumed lived in the Bosnian-Herzegovinian sea, during an expedition he led together with colleague from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in Sarajevo, professor Suvad Lelo and students Adla Kahrić and Neira Dedić.

   Dangerous stingray

Gajić told the Bosnian news agency Patria that during the four-day expedition in November last year in Neum, they registered an adult female common eagle ray Myliobatis aquila (L.) over 100 cm and a large common stingray, Dasyatis pastinaca (L.), which comes from the family Dasyatidae Jordan, 1888, which also killed the famous researcher Steve Irwin in 2006.

- Oh no, we cannot say that stingrays are enemies of humans. But it is true that when they feel threatened, they start waving their tail, at the end of which there are one or more sharp spines, which are like knives and can injure people if they find themselves in its immediate vicinity – explains Gajić, adding that if you ever encounter a stingray, the best thing is to move away from it.

However, Gajić and the team did not only spot stingrays during the expedition in Neum. They were surprised when they saw sea squirts at the bottom of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian sea, which are classified among the most sought-after and most expensive delicacies in the world (species Microcosmus sulcatus), as well as numerous other marine organisms.

- Actually, we proved that Neum is not as featureless and dead as people think, and as I myself believed until a few years ago – explains Gajić for Patria. This deep-sea researcher proved that seven species of sharks also live in the Bosnian-Herzegovinian sea, although all are harmless to humans.

He says that dolphins regularly visit Neum, even entire families of these marine mammals with their young. During the year, turtles and other interesting marine animals can also be observed.

   The most detailed research
   of Neum so far

The expedition was actually part of the graduate thesis of student Neira Dedić. They were also assisted by divers Samir Mulalić and Samir Solaković. The graduate thesis itself is part of systematic research of starfish in the infralittoral zone of the Bay of Neum, while the main topic of the expedition was systematic research of cartilaginous fishes of the Bay of Neum and other marine fauna.

- The last inventory of marine organisms in Neum was done by our famous ichthyologist Dr. Tonko Šoljan (1965-1980), but he only recorded what he discovered in the sea. We have now expanded that list with new organisms, but also provided detailed descriptions for each of them, such as whether these organisms reside in the BiH sea or are just passing through, at which locations they live, under what conditions, etc. – says Gajić, writes Patria.