Goblin Shark Mitsukurina owstoni, (Lamniformes: Mitsukurinidae), from waters off west of Galicia and north of Portugal (NE Atlantic).
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1
Instituto Español de Oceanografia, Centro Oceanografico de Vigo, Spain
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2
Coordinadora para o Estudio dos Mamíferos Mariños (CEMMA), Spain
The goblin shark Mitsukurina owstoni Jordan, 1898 (Chondrichthyes: Lamniformes:Mitsukurinidae) is a poorly known deepwater shark. The species is distributed worldwide in deep waters down to 1500 m and most records are at upper slopes, submarine canyons and ridges. This shark is very characterized by a long and well depressed paddle-like snout, slender very longcusped teeth, large caudal fin and the unusual pinkish-grey colour of the body. Previous records of the species in the eastern region includes 6 records at Portugal and Azores and one record at north Galicia fishing port.
A research program from 2011 to 2016 collected 19 new specimens of Mitsukurina owstoni which were incidentally caught by commercial fishing vessels on different localities along the northwestern Spanish and north Portugal waters. The following data were recorded for each specimen: complete biometry, sex, capture locality, type of fishing gear, date of capture, and depth of capture. Measurements and morphometric characteristics follow Yano et al.(2007). Maturity was determined by the presence of semen in the seminal vesicle and claspers calcification in males and ovarian development in females. Histology of testicle condition was carried out for a subadult male. Stomach and intestine contents were examined. Genetic and tissue samples were preserved for future studies.
Goblin shark distribution extends through the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. The biology of the species remains unknown because the scarce data of the species. There are a few records worldwide of 1-2 specimens and only an extensive study at Japan waters. Interviews with the local fishermen revealed that the globin shark is a very rare bycatch of commercial fishing boats operated off Iberian waters. The rarity of Mitsukurina ownstoni in the eastern Atlantic was emphasized after an extensive survey of the sharks databases and bibliography.
New unpublished records of 25 Goblin Shark Mitsukurina owstoni, from waters of Galicia (Spain) and north of Portugal (NE Atlantic) are reported. This is a rare shark poorly known in Atlantic European waters. The compiled records confirm its presence in the area and in the eastern Atlantic.
Sharks collected were incidentally captured by bottom trawler in all months. The catches were more abundant at March and May. Total length of the 19 examined specimens ranges form 120 to 250 cm. Prey items included teleost fishes, cephalopods crustaceans and digested food. All specimens collected during the present study were immature. 14 sharks were males (72%).
Keywords:
Mitsukurina,
Globin shark,
Deep water fisheries,
elasmobranchs,
bycatch
Conference:
XIX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies, Porto, Portugal, 5 Sep - 9 Sep, 2016.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation
Topic:
4. FISHERIES, AQUACULTURE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
Citation:
Valeiras
J,
Covelo
P,
Llavona
A,
Diaz
J,
Santos
M,
Lopez
A and
Abad
E
(2016). Goblin Shark Mitsukurina owstoni, (Lamniformes: Mitsukurinidae), from waters off west of Galicia and north of Portugal (NE Atlantic)..
Front. Mar. Sci.
Conference Abstract:
XIX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies.
doi: 10.3389/conf.FMARS.2016.05.00197
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Received:
15 May 2016;
Published Online:
03 Sep 2016.
*
Correspondence:
PhD. Julio Valeiras, Instituto Español de Oceanografia, Centro Oceanografico de Vigo, Vigo, 36390, Spain, xulio.valeiras@vi.ieo.es