Age and growth of Zapteryx brevirostris (Elasmobranchii: Rhinobatidae) in southern Brazil

Age and growth studies are fundamental to successful fisheries management. Zapteryx brevirostris (Muller & Henle, 1841) is distributed off the Brazilian continental shelf and this species is assessed as "Vulnerable" in the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neotropical Ichthyology
Main Authors: Carmo, Wanessa P. D., Favaro, Luis Fernando, Coelho, Rui
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Soc Brasileira Ictiologia 2018
Subjects:
Western North-Atlantic
Shark prionace-glauca
Carcharhinus-plumbeus
Sandbar shark
Chondrichthyan fshes
Reproductive-biology
Scalloped hammerhead
Sphyrna-lewini
Iskenderun bay
Raja-undulata
North Atlantic
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/11971
https://doi.org/10.1590/1982-0224-20170005
Description
Summary:Age and growth studies are fundamental to successful fisheries management. Zapteryx brevirostris (Muller & Henle, 1841) is distributed off the Brazilian continental shelf and this species is assessed as "Vulnerable" in the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Thus, the objective of this study was to present previously unknown information about the age and growth of Z. brevirostris that can be used for its management, conservation, and fisheries. A total of 162 specimens were sampled, with total lengths (TL) varying between 35.7 cm and 56 cm. The vertebrae were embedded in resin, sectioned in cuts with 0.5 mm thickness and the growth bands of the vertebrae were read under a light microscope. In the studied area, Z. brevirostris ages were estimated from 4 to 10 years according to vertebrae patterns. The species reaches its maximum asymptotic size (Linf) around 56 cm (56 cm for females and 50.37 cm for males). This is the first estimate of age and growth for a species of the Zapteryx genus, and the results support the hypothesis that this ray requires future management conservation, particularly due to its slow growth rate and consequent susceptibility to overexploitation. Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES); Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia) [IF/00253/2014]

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