Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jn8rn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T06:02:12.697Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Identification of deep water lantern sharks (Chondrichthyes: Etmopteridae) using morphometric data and multivariate analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2008

Rui Coelho*
Affiliation:
Universidade do Algarve, CCMAR/FCMA, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Karim Erzini
Affiliation:
Universidade do Algarve, CCMAR/FCMA, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Rui CoelhoUniversidade do Algarve CCMAR/FCMA Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 FaroPortugal email: rpcoelho@ualg.pt

Abstract

Taxonomic distinction to species level of deep water sharks is complex and often impossible to achieve during fisheries-related studies. The species of the genus Etmopterus are particularly difficult to identify, so they often appear without species assignation as Etmopetrus sp. or spp. in studies, even those focusing on elasmobranchs. During this work, the morphometric traits of two species of Etmopterus, E. spinax and E. pusillus were studied using 27 different morphological measurements, relatively easy to obtain even in the field. These measurements were processed with multivariate analysis in order to find out the most important ones likely to separate the two species. Sexual dimorphism was also assessed using the same techniques, and it was found that it does not occur in these species. The two Etmopterus species presented in this study share the same habitats in the overlapping ranges of distribution and are caught together on the outer shelves and slopes of the north-eastern Atlantic.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Anderson, O.F. and Clark, M.R. (2003) Analysis of bycatch in the fishery for orange roughy, Hoplostethus atlanticus, on the South Tasman Rise. Marine and Freshwater Research 54, 643652.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Borges, T.C., Erzini, K., Bentes, L., Costa, M.E., Gonçalves, J.M.S., Lino, P.G., Pais, C. and Ribeiro, J. (2001) By-catch and discarding practices in five Algarve (southern Portugal) mêtiers. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 17, 104114.Google Scholar
Clarke, K.R. and Gorley, R.N. (2006) PRIMER v6: user manual/tutorial. Plymouth: PRIMER-E, Ltd.Google Scholar
Clarke, K.R. and Warwick, R.M. (2001) Change in marine communities: an approach to statistical analysis and interpretation. Plymouth: PRIMER-E, Ltd.Google Scholar
Coelho, R. and Erzini, K. (2005) Length at first maturity of two species of lantern sharks (Etmopterus spinax and Etmopterus pusillus) of southern Portugal. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 85, 11631165.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coelho, R., Erzini, K., Bentes, L., Correia, C., Lino, P.G., Monteiro, P., Ribeiro, J. and Gonçalves, J.M.S. (2005) Semi-pelagic longline and trammel net elasmobranch catches in Southern Portugal: catch composition, catch rates and discards. Journal of Northwest Atlantic Fishery Science 35, 531537.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Compagno, L.J.V. (2001) Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Volume 2: Bullhead, mackerel and carpet sharks (Heterodontiformes, Lamniformes and Orectolobiformes). Rome: FAO.Google Scholar
Compagno, L.J.V., Dando, M. and Fowler, S. (2005) Sharks of the world. London: Collins.Google Scholar
Cortés, E. (2000) Life history patterns and correlations in sharks. Reviews in Fisheries Science 8, 299344.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DGPA (2006) Recursos da pesca 2005. Lisbon: DGPA.Google Scholar
Erzini, K., Gonçalves, J.M.S., Bentes, L., Lino, P.G. and Ribeiro, J. (2001) The hake deepwater semi-pelagic (‘pedra-bola’) longline fishery in the Algarve (southern Portugal). Fisheries Research 51, 327336.Google Scholar
FAO (2007) FIGIS Data Collection. (http://www.fao.org/figis). Rome: FAO. [Last accessed 22 February 2007.]Google Scholar
Ford, E. (1921) A contribution to our knowledge of the life-histories of the dogfishes landed at Plymouth. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 12, 468505.Google Scholar
Fowler, S.L., Cavanagh, R.D., Camhi, M., Burgess, G.H., Cailliet, G.M., Fordham, S.V., Simpfendorfer, C.A. and Musick, J.A. (2005) Sharks, rays and chimaeras: the status of the chondrichthyan fishes. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN.Google Scholar
Girard, M. and Du Buit, M.H. (1999) Reproductive biology of two deep-water sharks from the British Isles, Centroscymnus coelolepis and Centrophorus squamosus (Chondrichthyes: Squalidae). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 79, 923931.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Girard, M., Lorance, P. and Biseau, A. (2000) Captures par unité d'effort des espèces profondes du talus continental à l'oest des Iles Britanniques. Cybium 24, 97104.Google Scholar
Last, P.R. (2007) The state of chondrichthyan taxonomy and systematics. Marine and Freshwater Research 58, 79.Google Scholar
McKinnell, S. and Seki, M.P. (1998) Shark bycatch in the Japanese high seas squid driftnet fishery in the North Pacific Ocean. Fisheries Research 39, 127138.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McLaughlin, D.M. and Morrissey, J.F. (2005) Reproductive biology of Centrophorus cf. uyato from the Cayman Trench, Jamaica. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 85, 11851192.Google Scholar
Monteiro, P., Araujo, A., Erzini, K. and Castro, M. (2001) Discards of the Algarve (southern Portugal) crustacean trawl fishery. Hydrobiologia 449, 267277.Google Scholar
Statsoft (2004) Electronic statistics textbook. Tulsa: Statsoft.Google Scholar
Stevens, J.D., Bonfil, R., Dulvy, N.K. and Walker, P.A. (2000) The effects of fishing on sharks, rays, and chimaeras (chondrichthyans), and the implications for marine ecosystems. ICES Journal of Marine Science 57, 476494.Google Scholar
Wetherbee, B.M. (1996) Distribution and reproduction of the southern lantern shark from New Zealand. Journal of Fish Biology 49, 11861196.Google Scholar
Zeeberg, J., Corten, A. and Graaf, E. (2006) Bycatch and release of pelagic megafauna in industrial trawler fisheries off Northwest Africa. Fisheries Research 78, 186195.Google Scholar