A team of researchers from the Faculty of Veterinary and Biological Sciences of the Científica del Sur University published a scientific study that morphologically analyzes the trunks and fins of five commercial species of sharks caught by the artisanal fishery in Peru in order to develop a guide identification of these animals.
This work entitled «Morphological analysis of trunks and fins of five commercial species of sharks landed on the Peruvian coast» was published in the Journal of Marine Biology and Oceanography (RBMO) of the University of Valparaíso, in Chile.
Its authors, Mónica Vitor-Caceres, Keny Kanagusuku and Héctor Aponte, scientists from the Research Laboratory of the Marine Biology major, pointed out that the rapid identification of trunks and fins that arrive at fishing ports constitutes one of the challenges for the conservation of the elasmobranchs, since the conditions in which these organisms land create the need to develop tools for their taxonomic identification.
In this research, samples were taken from five commercial species of sharks captured (Mustelus whitneyi, Mustelus mento, Triakis maculata, Sphyrna zygaena and Notorynchus cepedianus) at six landing points along the Peruvian coast: Máncora (Piura), Los Órganos (Piura ), Talara (Piura), Santa Rosa (Lambayeque), Pucusana (Lima) and Pisco (Ica).
In developing this analysis, the scientists initially made a series of morphological descriptions of the species, taking into account the characteristics of the trunk, the first dorsal fin, the pectoral fins and the lower caudal fin lobe.
Subsequently, a dichotomous key was elaborated for the respective identification and the fins of the juvenile species were compared by means of multivariate analysis (correspondence analysis and PERMANOVA), starting with the salient and comparable characteristics of the trunk and complemented with the salient and comparable characteristics of the athletes, proposing a scheme of measurements of the fins.
“Statistical analyzes tell us that there are differences between almost all species except T. maculata with M. whitneyi, and M. mento with S. zygaena. Using the characteristics of the fins it is possible to separate N. cepedianus and M. mento; this reaffirms the potential that the fins have to be used in the identification of some species, but with limitations, “says the publication.
This research also highlights certain deficiencies regarding the biological information of each of these species, such as life cycle, breeding and feeding areas, for which its authors recommend implementing studies of spatial ecology, climatic effects and population status. to improve shark conservation in Peru.
Finally, the scientists conclude that this study provides the basis for the development of identification guides for shark species frequently caught with incomplete bodies on our coast, which would allow inspectors to early record the landing of these animals, and in turn have them identified for the exports and imports of these products.
Source: Andean