Journal of Survey in Fisheries Sciences 7(2) 169-177 2021 The small-spotted , Scyliorhinus canicula, transfer from catch to the public aquarium for the exhibition

Aydın C.*

Received: June 2020 Accepted: December 2020

Abstract A public aquarium (or city aquarium) is the aquatic counterpart of a zoo, which houses living aquatic and plant specimens for public viewing. The supply of the species to be exhibited is one of the most important issues. The small-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula), is very famous for public aquariums to the exhibition. Along the Turkish coast, bottom trawls primarily take catshark. In this study, it was aimed that live S. canicula supply and their transfer to public aquariums. were obtained by commercial trawl at the three operations. Operations were carried out in September 2019 in Sığacık Bay, Turkey. Totally 26 S. canicula was caught and they had put into 50, 100 and 200-liter tanks for the transportation. In the transfer process, the average, ammoniac, temperature, oxygen pH value and salinity values were taken and their values are70 mg/L, 18.8 Co, 7.16 mg/L, 8.03 and 39.8 ppt, respectively. At the end of the 3-hour transfer period, all of the fish were successfully transferred to the quarantine process. After 1 week quarantine period, the fish were put into the aquarium to be the exhibition. Mainly ammonia the other transfer water criteria such as temperature, oxygen pH value and salinity are important for transportation. Because S. canicula start to release ammonia when get stressed. Therefore, water criteria should be checked every 30 minutes and if necessary Amquel for ammonia bicarbonate for pH added in transfer tanks. After 1.50 h later, all individuals were successufully transported as live (100% survival rate) to the quarantine process.

Keywords: Small-spotted catshark, Scyliorhinus canicula, transfer, catch, public aquarium

Downloaded from sifisheriessciences.com at 6:27 +0330 on Monday September 27th 2021 [ DOI: 10.18331/SFS2021.7.2.14 ]

1-Fisheries Faculty, Ege University, Bornova, İzmir Turkey *-Corresponding autor's Email: [email protected] 170 Aydın, The small-spotted catshark, Scyliorhinus canicula, transfer from catch to …

Introduction Aquarial Gardens were founded in A public aquarium (or city aquarium) is Boston in 1859. Several aquariums then the aquatic counterpart of a zoo, which opened in Europe, such as the Jardin houses living aquatic animal and plant d'Acclimatation in Paris and the specimens for public viewing Viennese Aquarium Salon (both (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_a founded 1860), the Marine Aquarium quarium). Although the history of Temple as part of the Zoological public (city) aquariums go way back, Garden in Hamburg (1864), as well as the first large public aquarium in the aquariums in Berlin (1869) and world, known as the Fish House, was Brighton (1872) (Brunner, 2011). The built in 1853 at the London Zoo with first large public aquarium was the name The London Zoo (Brunner established in İstanbul, Turkey in 2009. (2003). Following the London Then the number of public aquariums aquariums, first American aquarium as increased one by one in the following part of Barnum's American Museum years reached 13 in 2019 (Table 1). was established in 1856. Then the

Table 1: Public aquariums in Turkey (Çelik and Ülger, 2020).

Establishment Water Name Location Number / Species of Year Capacity (m3) SEA LIFE İstanbul Aquarium 2009 İstanbul 5000 15478 nektons of 500 species (Turkuazoo) Keçiören Outdoor 2230 invertebrates 671 marine 2010 Ankara 300 Aquarium fish in 13 species 4000 marine and 150 Deniz Dünyası 2010 Ankara 1000 freshwater species İstanbul Akvaryum 2011 İstanbul 6800 17000 land and sea creatures Kaplıkaya Cazibe 5000 fish in tunnel and 150 2011 Bursa 3000 Merkezi fish in other aquariums There are 12000 marine Aqua Vega Aquarium 2012 Ankara 4500 species It hosts roughly 10 thousand Antalya Aquarium 2012 Antalya 7500 species ETI Underwater World 2014 Eskişehir 1400 2150 creatures in 84 species Viasea Aquarium 2015 İstanbul 5200 12000 marine creatures Downloaded from sifisheriessciences.com at 6:27 +0330 on Monday September 27th 2021 [ DOI: 10.18331/SFS2021.7.2.14 ] 2500 different marine Aqua Diyarbakır 2015 Diyarbakır 1700 creatures of 150 species Jungle İstanbul 2015 İstanbul

Emaar Aquarium & 20000 nektons and 2017 İstanbul 48 Underwater Zoo amphibians of 200 species Funtastic Aquarium 2018 İzmir 2000 70+ İzmir Journal of Survey in Fisheries Sciences 7(2) 2021 171

Since the first public aquariums were 400 m( Rodriguez-Cabello et al., 2007). built, they have become popular and Catshark is of only moderate their interest has increased. Over 20 commercial fisheries importance. It is million marine fishes are caught for the utilized fresh and dried salted for aquarium trade, destined for sale human consumption, fishmeal and oil. (Pinnegar and Murray, 2019). A global Besides, exhibited in a public aquarium. market worth more than the US $330 Bottom trawls primarily take this million in the United States and Europe catshark as a bycatch species in Turkey, (Tissot et al., 2010). it is also caught with trammel nets More than 7000 species like fish, longline and hand line. invertebrates, amphibians, aquatic In this study, it was aimed that live reptiles, and aquatic plants have been S. canicula supply from trawl and their exhibited in the aquarium. Therefore, transfer to public aquariums. This paper obtaining the species to be displayed is presents the first results of the one of the most important issues. The transportation of S. canicula from transportation of fish is a science in Turkey. itself (Brunner, 2011). A fish transfer is the healthy transport of a living creature Material and methods from its current environment to another S. canicula’s were obtained by bottom controlled environment. trawl. Trawl operations were conducted Elasmobranchs are a popular exhibit on Sığacik bay of the Turkish coast of specimen among public aquaria the Aegean Sea on 8 October 2019 on worldwide. Despite the contrary, the commercial fishing ground (Fig. 1). elasmobranchs are delicate animals. A commercial stern trawler This delicate nature is nowhere more “BATUHAN EYLÜL” which have 20.0 evident than during the difficult process m LAO and 750HP engine power was of capturing and transporting these utilized (Fig. 2). A modified 900 animals from their natural habitat to a meshes fishing circle demersal trawl net place of study or display (Smith et al., was used in the sampling (Figs. 3 and 2004). If not sufficient, care should be 4). used, elasmobranchs perish during Polipropilen (PP) tanks which have transport (Boldwin and Wells, 1990; 100 (width:40 cm, height: 49 cm, Murru, 1990; Smith, 1992). lengths: 66 cm) and 200 (width:65 cm, The small-spotted catshark height: 59 cm, lengths: 75 cm) litre Downloaded from sifisheriessciences.com at 6:27 +0330 on Monday September 27th 2021 [ DOI: 10.18331/SFS2021.7.2.14 ] (Scyliorhinus canicula) (also known as capacity were used to keep fish in the the sandy dogfish, lesser-spotted ship. Water quality, important for dogfish, Rough-hound or Morgay) is an transfer, was monitored throughout the Elasmobranch species of transport. They were measured every 30 Scyliorhinidae. It is found primarily minutes with multifunction over sandy, gravelly, or muddy bottoms measurements devices for dissolved from depths of a few metres down to oxygen concentrations and pH, and 172 Aydın, The small-spotted catshark, Scyliorhinus canicula, transfer from catch to … refractometer for salinity, ammonia kit the species and their transportation for ammonia concentrations and nitrate- processes such as air pump and stone, nitrite kit for nitrate –nitrate oxygen tube, external filter, scoop, concentrations. submersible pump and hose pipe for Additional tools were utilized taken successful transportation.

y

a Sığacık B

Teke

k

ı c

a Doğanbey

ğ

ı S

Aegean Sea

Kuşadası Bay Kuşadası

Figure 1: Trawl operations.

Downloaded from sifisheriessciences.com at 6:27 +0330 on Monday September 27th 2021 [ DOI: 10.18331/SFS2021.7.2.14 ]

Figure 2: Trawler used in the operations.

Journal of Survey in Fisheries Sciences 7(2) 2021 173

Figure 3: Trawl used in study.

Downloaded from sifisheriessciences.com at 6:27 +0330 on Monday September 27th 2021 [ DOI: 10.18331/SFS2021.7.2.14 ]

Figure 4: PVC tank.

174 Aydın, The small-spotted catshark, Scyliorhinus canicula, transfer from catch to …

Results hake (Merluccius merluccius), horse Three trawl operations were done. mackerel (Trachurus trachurus), large- Mean depths is 77.3 m ranging from 75 scaled gurned (Lepidotrigla cavillone), to 80 m. The average haul duration and John Dory (Zeus faber), angler fish trawling speeds were 201.3minutes (Lophius piscatorius) and European (from 144 to 241 minutes) and 2.5 squid (Loligo vulgaris), The others knots (from 2.4 to 2.5), respectively which have no commercial values were (Table 1). After trawl hauls up, throw out the sea as a discard (Table 2). Scyliorhinus canicula were separated Fresh seawater was continuously added and put in the tank. A total of 26 S. to the tanks where the fish were kept canicula were caught in three during the time passed on the ship until operations. The commercial species the transfer time. A track, which has sorted out by crews on the deck and air-container oxygen tube used to taken on the case. Some of these transfer. 50, 100 and 500 liter capacity species are deep-water rose shrimp (width:65 cm, height: 62 cm, lengths: (Parapenaeus longirostris), European 152 cm) PP tank was used during transport.

Table 2: Trawl operations details. Operations Time Coordinates Depths Speed Number of (m) (Knots) S.canicula 1. Haul 06:32-10:11 38˚ 08' 567'' N, 26 ˚ 40' 860'' E- 77.7 2.5 8 38˚ 04' 186'' N, 26˚ 48' 684'' E 2. Haul 10:39-14:07 38˚ 05' 102'' N, 26 ˚ 48' 442'' E- 75.8 2.4 12 38˚ 08' 199'' N, 26˚ 39' 271'' E 3. Haul 14:38-18:39 38˚ 08' 245'' N, 26 ˚ 40' 267'' E- 78.5 2.5 6 38˚ 02' 854'' N, 26˚ 49' 056'' E

Oxygen level in seawater is on average bicarbonate was also added to the 7 mg/L. Oxygen value measured during water. The pH values measured during transfer is minimum of 6.95 mg/L, the transfer are minimum 7.95 and maximum 7.40 mg /L and the average maximum 8.12, and the average pH oxygen value is 7.16 mg/L. The valve value is 8.03. of the oxygen cylinder was turndown or Ammonia and urea are found in the turn up according to the change of blood of cartilaginous fish. In the

Downloaded from sifisheriessciences.com at 6:27 +0330 on Monday September 27th 2021 [ DOI: 10.18331/SFS2021.7.2.14 ] oxygen in the water in mg/L. The transfer step into stress , begin to seawater salinity is 41 ppt. The excreted mucus and ammonia. measured salinity during the transfer is Ammonia reduces the quality of the minimum 39 ppt, maximum 41 ppt, and water and causes more stress for the the average salinity value is 39.8 ppt. fish. If the concentration of ammonia Another important water criteria are found to be higher than 0.5 mg/L a pH. If the pH was found to be lower 420.0 ml dose of an ammonia detoxifier than 8.0, a 50.0 g dose of sodium was added to the water. This amount of Journal of Survey in Fisheries Sciences 7(2) 2021 175

AmQuel had been to neutralize 1.0 up can cause damages. For example mg/L of ammonia in 3.20 m3 of water Survival rate of red mullet from (i.e., the volume of the transport traditional bottom trawl towed for just containers). Water temperature was not 15 min were varied between 77.4% and monitored during the transport, 94.7% (Metin et al., 2004) and black although the ambient temperature was goby fish were 69% and 77.2% regulated using the air-conditioning (Düzbastılar et al., 2010). systems and maintained at Elasmobranch transport regime takes approximately 15.0°C into account a number of considerations The transport duration 1 hr 50 min. related to species biology and transport All individuals were transported as live logistics well described in 16 steps (100% survival rate) to the quarantine (Smith et al., 2004). Each step is process. After one week quarantine important for transportation. Among process S. canicula were still alive in these, water criteria are an important İzmir. factor during transfer. They should be able to provide optimal conditions Discussion throughout the process. The criteria From the capture to the exhibition, the applied for this study appeared to be live fish transfer is long, intenseprocess effective until 2 hours. For longer need to be extremely careful. We transports, further water treatment supplied 26 S. canicula from the trawl mechanisms should be considered (e.g., and achieved a 100% survival rates additional water exchanges, success. Studies have shown that post- replacement of activated carbon, discard survival rates of Catharks are staging at an intermediate facility, etc.). extremely high, around 98% (Ellis et In conclusion, Aquariums are al., 2017).On the other hand, catch established in many parts of the world. composition of bottom trawl fisheries of The transfer of live fish to marine the Aegean Sea is composed of more aquariums has become an important than sixty fish species (Stergiou et al., sector and catching the species from 2003). Various in the body shapes and nature with the least damage has behaviour of species can be caught become an important issue. The (Stergiou et al., 1997). Therefore, interaction of several parameters should conventional demersal fisheries have be taken into consideration when a rather a poor selectivity. Besides, long transport regime the species. They Downloaded from sifisheriessciences.com at 6:27 +0330 on Monday September 27th 2021 [ DOI: 10.18331/SFS2021.7.2.14 ] towing duration and depths can affect cover captured methods (trawl, the supplying live fish from the trawl. If longline, etc.) fish (swimming, other fish species want to be caught as morphology, etc.), the water quality of alive, it can be extremely careful the transport process. The techniques especially when the haul up the trawl adopted in this study appear to have otherwise negative effects such as extended the possible duration for the exhausted and swimming bladder swell 176 Aydın, The small-spotted catshark, Scyliorhinus canicula, transfer from catch to …

transport of Scyliorhinus canicula by up Metin, C., Tokaç, A., Ulaş, A., to 2 hr. Düzbastılar, F.O., Lök, A., Özbilgin, H., Metin, G., References Tosunoğlu, Z., Kaykaç, M.H. and Baldwin, J. and Wells, R.M.G., 1990. Aydın, C., 2004. Survival of red Oxygen transport potential in mullet (Mullus barbatus L., 1758) tropical elasmobranchs from the after escape from a trawl codend in Great Barrier Reef: relationship the Aegean Sea. Fisheries Research, between hematology and blood 70, 49-53 viscosity. Journal for Experimental Murru, F.L., 1990. The care and Marine Biology and Ecology, 144, maintenance of elasmobranchs in 145-155. controlled environments. In: Brunner, B., 2003. The Ocean at Elasmobranchs as Living Resources: Home. New York: Princeton Advances in Biology, Ecology, Architectural Press. pp. 99. ISBN 1- Systematics, and the Status of 56898-502-9. Fisheries, p. 203-209. H. R. Pratt, S. Brunner, B., 2011. The Ocean at H. Gruber, and T. Taniuchi (eds.). Home: An Illustrated History of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Aquarium. Reakton books ltd. 33 NOAA Technical Report 90. great Sutton Street. London ECIV Pinnegar, J.K. and Murray, J.M., ODX, Uk ISBN: 9781861898166. 2019. Understanding the United Çelik, P. and Yalçın Ülger, E., 2020. Kingdom marine aquarium trade – Public Aquariums in Turkey. Marine amystery shopper study of species Science and Technology Bulletin, on sale. Journal of Fish Biology, 94, 9(1), 1-6. 917–924. DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13941. Düzbastılar, F.O., Aydın, C., Metin, Rodriguez-Cabello, C., Sanchez, F. G., Lök, A., Ulaş, A., Özgül, A., and Olaso, I., 2007. Distribution Gül, B., Metin, C., Özbilgin, H., patterns and sexual segregations Şensurat, T. and Tokaç, A., 2010. of Scyliorhinus canicula (L.) in the Survival of fish after escape from a Cantabrian Sea. Journal of Fish 40 mm streched diamond mesh trawl Biology, 70, 1568–1586. codend in the Aegean Sea. Scienta Smith, M.F.L., 1992. Capture and Marina, 74, 755-761. transportation of elasmobranchs, Ellis, J.R., Mccully Phillips, S.R. and with emphasis on the grey nurse Downloaded from sifisheriessciences.com at 6:27 +0330 on Monday September 27th 2021 [ DOI: 10.18331/SFS2021.7.2.14 ] Poisson. F., 2017. A review of (Carcharias taurus). capture and post-release mortality of Australian Journal of Marine and elasmobranchs. Journal of Fish Freshwater Research (Sharks: Biology, 90(3), 653–722. Biology and Fisheries), 43, 325-343. ff10.1111/jfb.13197ff. Smith, M.F.L., Marshal, A., Correira, ffhal01928116f. Elasmobranch Husbandry Manual: Journal of Survey in Fisheries Sciences 7(2) 2021 177

Captive Care of Sharks, Rays and species in Mediterranean trawl their Relatives, Ohio Biological fisheries? Fisheries Research, 59, Survey, pp. 105-131. 431-435. Stergiou, K.I., Politou, Ch.-Y., Tissot, B.N., Best, B.A., Borneman, Christou, E.D. and Petrakis, G., E.H., Bruckner, A.W., Cooper, 1997. Selectivity experiments in the C.H., D’Agnes, H. and Stevenson, NE Mediterranean: the effect of T.C., 2010. How U.S. ocean policy trawl codend mesh size on species and market power can reform the diversity and discards. ICES Journal coral reef wildlife trade. Marine of Marine Science, 54, 774-786. Policy, 34, 1385–1388. Stergiou, K.I., Machias, A., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.201 Somarakis, S. and Kapantagakis, 0.06.002 A., 2003. Can we define target

Downloaded from sifisheriessciences.com at 6:27 +0330 on Monday September 27th 2021 [ DOI: 10.18331/SFS2021.7.2.14 ]