This Fish, Which Only Lives in Water Cleaner Than Class 2, Found in Cheonggyecheon

[Financial News]  A native Korean freshwater fish, 'Suiry', which only lives in water cleaner than Class 2, was found in Cheonggyecheon.

According to the Seoul Facilities Corporation and the National Science Museum on the 26th, the two organizations recently conducted a freshwater fish survey to mark the 20th anniversary of the restoration of Cheonggyecheon. The survey was conducted over a total of 8.12 km, targeting six points from Cheonggye Plaza, where Cheonggyecheon starts, and near Mojongyo, to the confluence with Jungnangcheon.

Looking at the distribution of fish species in Cheonggyecheon, in the upper stream, species such as Pirami, Chamgalgyeoni, Dolgogi, Mireo, Ingeo, Bungeo, Beodeulchi, and Chambungeo were confirmed. In the midstream, including Suiry, Dolgogi, Julmolgae, Moraemuji, Gamulchi, and Hyangeo were confirmed. In the lower midstream, Hyangeo, Chamaja, Eollukdongsari, and Galmunmangduk were found, showing a diverse distribution of fish species throughout the entire Cheonggyecheon.

In particular, the discovery of Suiry, which only inhabits rivers cleaner than Class 2, drew attention. Suiry is an endemic species that only lives on the Korean Peninsula, characterized by a body length of 10~15 cm and a color close to silver-white. It is considered an important indicator of how healthy the river ecosystem is due to its sensitivity to water quality.

Meanwhile, Cheonggyecheon was created through extensive restoration work from 2003 to 2005. The survey of freshwater fish in Cheonggyecheon was intensively conducted from 2003 before the restoration to five years after the restoration, but no detailed inspection has been conducted since 2019.


gaa1003@fnnews.com An Gaeul Reporter