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A small home range increases the vulnerability to fisheries of the ocellate river stingray, Potamotrygon motoro, in a biodiversity hotspot of the Neotropical region

Domingos Garrone-Neto1,2, Gabriel Raposo Silva de Souza2, Felippe Alexandre Miranda de Lisboa Daros1, Jairo Fidel Novoa- Serna3, Mónica Andrea Morales-Betancourt4, Carlos Andrés Lasso4

1. Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Câmpus Experimental de Registro, Rua Nelson Brihi Badur 430, 11900-000 Registro, SP, Brazil. [email protected] http://lattes.cnpq.br/4740462398227336 http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4848-5169 2. Universidade Estadual Paulista, Instituto de Biociências, Câmpus do Litoral Paulista, Praça Infante D. Henrique s/n, 11330-900 São Vicente, SP, Brazil. [email protected] http://lattes.cnpq.br/3570524770816180 http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9134-595X [email protected] http://lattes.cnpq.br/6744256507043234 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9123-1773 3. Fundación Orinoquía, Casa Piedra Diagonal 15 # 2-173, Puerto Carreño, Vichada, Colombia. [email protected] http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6942-7510 4. Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt, Calle 28A # 15-09, Bogotá, DC, Colombia. [email protected] http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0783-1742 [email protected] http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3927-8109

In this study a telemetry-based approach was used to examine the movements and the habitat utilization of

CT Potamotrygon motoro, a widespread species of potamotrygonid stingray of South America. The investigation included 13 individuals that were tagged with acoustic transmitters and manually monitored from March to September 2017

TRA in the Bita river, a biodiversity hotspot of the Orinoco basin, Colombia. Stingrays used an area ranging from 0.00360 to 11.86735 km2 (average 2.57742 km2). Within this area, telemetry data identified a higher zone of activity in which ABS 50% of the individuals remained during the study, suggesting that P. motoro is a small-range species with strong site fidelity. As the species is highly targeted by ornamental fisheries in the Orinoco basin, this information may be useful to identify critical habitats and help to guide conservation strategies, based on a fish-oriented management. Given the wide distribution of P. motoro into South America, results may also be useful to neighboring countries such as Brazil, Peru and Venezuela, where a similar use is observed for the species.

Keywords: movement ecology; habitat use; acoustic telemetry; Potamotrygonidae; Orinoco basin.

Uma área de vida restrita aumenta a vulnerabilidade da raia-de-fogo, Potamotrygon motoro, a pesca em um hotspot de biodiversidade da região Neotropical

Neste estudo, foi utilizada uma abordagem baseada na telemetria para examinar os movimentos e a utilização do habitat de Potamotrygon motoro, uma espécie de raia da família Potamotrygonidae amplamente distribuída pela América do Sul. Para tal, 13 indivíduos foram marcados com transmissores acústicos e monitorados manualmente de março a setembro de 2017 no rio Bita, um hotspot de biodiversidade da bacia do Orinoco, na Colômbia. As raias RESUMO utilizaram uma área que variou de 0,00360 a 11,86735 km2 (média de 2,57742 km2). Dentro dessa área, os dados de telemetria identificaram uma zona de atividade mais alta na qual 50% dos indivíduos permaneceram durante o estudo, sugerindo que P. motoro é uma espécie que ocupa uma pequena área de vida com forte fidelidade de sítio. Como a espécie é altamente visada pela pesca ornamental na bacia do Orinoco, essas informações podem ser úteis para identificar habitats críticos e ajudar a orientar estratégias de conservação, com base em um manejo “peixe- orientado”. Dada a ampla distribuição de P. motoro na América do Sul, os resultados também poderão ser úteis para países vizinhos, como Brasil, Peru e Venezuela, onde uma utilização semelhante é observada para a espécie.

Palavras-chave: ecologia do movimento, uso do habitat, telemetria acústica, Potamotrygonidae, bacia do Orinoco.

Introduction ally conducted with low regulation in the country (SANABRIA- River stingrays belong to the family Potamotrygonidae Gar- OCHOA et al., 2007; LASSO et al., 2016b). Only one annual quota man, 1877, a Neotropical group of elasmobranch that includes was established to allow the exportation of some species of four genera restricted to freshwater environments (Paratrygon Potamotrygonidae from Colombia, but this measure has been Duméril, 1865; Potamotrygon Garman, 1877; Plesiotrygon Rosa, questioned for not including population assessments of the most Castello & Thorson, 1987; Heliotrygon Carvalho & Lovejoy, 2011) exploited species, such as Potamotryon magdalenae (Duméril, and a single marine genus, Styracura Carvalho, Loboda & Silva, 1865) and P. motoro (Müller & Henle, 1841) (SANCHEZ-DUARTE 2016 (CARVALHO et al., 2016; LASSO et al., 2016a). With the et al., 2013). exception of Styracura – whose representatives are restricted to The Magdalena stingray (P. magdalenae) is endemic of North- the Caribbean Sea, West Atlantic (S. schmardae), and to the East ern Colombia. The species is targeted by the ornamental fisheries Pacific (S. pacifica), the other genus of Potamotrygonidae are (young individuals) and captured for subsistence (adults) (LASSO widely distributed through the fluvial systems of South America, et al., 2012, 2016c). The ocellate river stingray (P. motoro) has a especially of the Amazon basin (CARVALHO et al., 2016; LASSO et wider distribution, occurring in the Amazon, Orinoco and Rıó de al., 2016a). la Plata basins. In Colombia, P. motoro is categorized as Vulnerable The genus Potamotrygon Garman, 1877 comprises at least 26 in the national assessment (LASSO; SANCHEZ-DUARTE, 2012) species. Colombia is the second country after Brazil in terms of and as Data Deficient in the global evaluation (DRIOLI; richness, with 11 species of freshwater stingrays registered so far CHIARAMONTE, 2009). The species is the second more exploited (LASSO et al., 2013 a). Among these, four species were considered stingray for ornamental purposes in Colombia, with an estimation as Vulnerable in the Red List of Freshwater Fish of Colombia that 81.109 individuals were exported between 1999 and 2011 (MOJICA et al., 2012). The ornamental fishery is considered as the (LASSO et al., 2013b). Due to its low fecundity and late sexual main threat to these species since the activity has been tradition- maturity, P. motoro is potentially vulnerable to various risks, such

Biota Amazônia ISSN 2179-5746 Macapá, v. 11, n. 2, p. 38-42, 2021 Esta obra está licenciada sob uma Licença Disponível em http://periodicos.unifap.br/index.php/biota Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Internacional Submetido em 08 de Dezembro de 2020 / Aceito em 28 de Junho de 2021 as indiscriminate harvesting, indirect fishing and habitat degrada- Stingrays tagging and monitoring tion (DRIOLI; CHIARAMONTE, 2009; LASSO et al., 2016b). Accord- Individuals of P. motoro were collected during the day and 39 G s A t A i s

night through longline fishery, between March and April 2017 (dry n ing to the National Plan for the Conservation and Management of R m g R r a O Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras of Colombia, P. motoro was identified season). Longlines were deployed close to the river margins, over a l N l y , h E sand bottom, around two meters depth. Secondary lines were P - as a high-priority taxa for research efforts (e.g., bioecology, fisher- o o N m t E a

equipped with circle hooks (9/0) to avoid deep hooking, baited e ies and socio-economic and cultural aspects), due to its impor- T m O r o a with fish and inspected every three hours to minimize capture , t tance as an ornamental resource and susceptibility to anthropic D n r . g y e e g impacts such as overfishing (CALDAS et al., 2010). Among these, effects on the stingrays. t o a i n n l

After capture, stingrays were sexed, measured (disc width, . c

an assessment on the spatial ecology of P. motoro is needed, since m r e o

DW), weighted (kg), and fitted with acoustic transmitters (Lotek a information about habitat use and home range are still unknown t o s e r o for the species in Colombia – which is critical for the adoption of MM-Series, 76kHz). Transmitters were equipped with pressure s , t i h n

and temperature sensors, with a resolution of 0.3m and 0.2°C, e

management and conservation measures. a v b u

In this sense, the present study used, for the first time in the respectively. Transmitters were designed to have a calculated life i o l n d e i

north of South America, a telemetry-based approach to study the of approximately 220 days, with a burst interval of seven seconds. v r e a r b movements and the habitat use of potamotrygonid stingrays, Due to the possibility of some size classes of P. motoro in forming s i i l t i t y using P. motoro in the Orinoco basin as model. Specific objectives y

aggregations (GARRONE NETO; UIEDA, 2012), transmitters used a h t o o t included (i) an estimation of home range size and habitat prefer- code division multiple access (CDMA) to allow the simultaneous s f p i s o h ence, and (ii) whether movements vary daily and seasonally. detection/decoding of the individuals and avoid problems with t e o r f i t Results may have direct impacts on the management and conser- code-tag collision. As a dorso-ventrally flattened species, P. motoro e h s e o vation of P. motoro in an area of relevant ecological interest that is demanded the use of transmitters externally fixed with harnesses N f e t o currently subject to intense ornamental fisheries. Given the wide h in the dorsal portion of the stingrays' tail, using corrosive wires to t e r o o distribution of P. motoro into South America, especially in the p

allow future detachment (Fig. 2A). Local anesthesia with lidocaine, c i e c l a Amazon basin, results may also be useful to a better understand on l a without vasoconstrictor, was used for immobilization and l r t e e

its spatial ecology in neighboring countries such as Brazil, Peru g

transfixation with needle for fixing the harness wires. After tag- r i i o v n and Venezuela, where similar threats are observed for the species. ging, stingrays were kept into a livewell to ensure total recovery e r prior to release (Fig. 2B). Stingrays were then released close to the Material and Methods capture sites and actively monitored (Lotek MAP 600 RT-A) Study area through boat transects (total of 14 transects; 84 hours), from The study was conducted in the Bita river, a fifth order March to September 2017, including the end of dry the season clearwater tributary of the Orinoco river located in the border (March-April) and a rainy period (May to September) (Fig. 2C). between Colombia and Venezuela, Vichada Department, northwestern South America (Fig. 1). The Bita river cross about 510 km of an ecoregion comprised by flooded grasslands and savannas, known as “Llanos Orientales” (ROMERO et al., 2017). With a rich ichthyofauna (254 species, including at least six potamotrygonid stingrays), the Bita river is a biodiversity hotspot of South America, A B C Figure 2. Individuals of Potamotrygon motoro itted with external acoustic transmitters (A) and part of the Orinoco basin, which was recently included in the list of kept into a livewell (B) to ensure total recovery prior to release (C). wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Conven- tion (VILLA-NAVARRO et al., 2017; WWF, 2018). The mobile real-time tracking used stereo hydrophones with dual ports from a moving platform (boat), while providing instan- 70°0'00''W 69°0'00''W 68°0'00''W 67°0'00''W 6°50'0''N 6°50'0''N VENEZUELA taneous indication of the stingrays' direction in relation to the

Puerto Carreñ o Meta river hydrophone array, as well as the display and storage of the real

Bita river time tag detections (including sensor data). Valid detections were COLOMBIA 5°40'0''N 5°40'0''N considered as those in which at least three decoding were

Vichada river obtained for each transmitter in an interval of one minute. In addition to the data on pressure (depth), temperature (°C) and direc- 4°30'0''N 4°30'0''N 40 km A B tion (relative direction of the stingrays from the observer using the 70°0'00''W 69°0'00''W 68°0'00''W 67°0'00''W Figure 1. Study area, in the border between Colombia and Venezuela, northwestern South America analogy of a 12-hour clock), the position of the animals was esti- (A). Stingrays' monitoring was concentrated in the region of Puerto Carreño, in the lower course of the Bita river (red square, A; photo, B). mated in the field with portable GPS. The position was obtained when the signal strength was close to 100, indicating proximity of The study area comprises the lower course of the Bita river, in the observers to the transmitters. In addition, a characterization of the confluence with the Orinoco river, near the municipality of the meso (pool or rapid) and microhabitats (main channel, sand Puerto Carreño, Department of Vichada, Colombia. This region has bottom; margin of the main channel, sand beach; margin of the a set of wetlands, rivers and lagoons that are under the influence of main channel, stream mouth, bottom with debris) in which sting- a unimodal rainfall regime, with higher precipitations between rays were located was performed. At each campaign, the last loca- April-May to November and a drier period from December to tions of the stingrays were used to guide the new boat transects. March-April (ROMERO et al., 2017). The economy of Puerto GPS positions were then extracted and plotted on a map to allow Carreño is heavily based on fisheries, among which the ornamen- comparisons between campaigns, using QGis® software. tal catches represent around 10% of the captures for the aquarium trade in Colombia (ORTEGA-LARA et al., 2015). The Bita river is Statistical analyses one of the main fishing areas in the region, but the level of knowl- Estimations of home range size were made using the edge about the population dynamics and natural history of the fish adehabitatHR package (originally available at the adehabitat pack- assemblage is among the lowest in the Orinoco basin, with large age) (CALENGE, 2006, 2019). The area used by the stingrays (km2) information gaps (LASSO et al., 2010a; MACHADO-ALLISON et al., was estimated using the Minimum Convex Polygon (MCP) method, 2010). based in the calculation of the smallest convex polygon enclosing all

Biota Amazônia ISSN 2179-5746 the relocations of the stingrays (MOHR, 1947; HAYNE, 1949). The Shapiro-Wilk and the comparison tests t-Student and Mann- home range size at 95, 70 and 50 percent density were also calcu- Withney, for data with normal and non-normal distribution, 40 G s A t A i s n lated using the Kernel method to determine the total area used by R

respectively. The analyzes mentioned above were performed using m g R r a O the stingrays (95%) and where successively higher zones of activ- a the R environment (R DEVELOPMENT CORE TEAM, 2020). l N l y , h E P - ity (70% and 50%) were located (SILVERMAN, 1986; WAND; o o N m t E a

Results e

JONES, 1995). Within this approach, the use of the space by the T m O r o a A total of 13 stingrays was tagged and tracked – six females , t stingrays was described using a bivariate probability density D n r . g y e e and seven males (disk width 32.0 ± 5.1cm; weight 1.859 ± 0.9kg). g function, the UD (Utilization Distribution; Van Winkle, 1975), t o a i n n l The monitoring time varied between individuals, ranging from 01 . c

which represents the probability of finding these animals in a m r e o a defined area within its home range according to the coordinates to 187 days (average 144.4 ±57 days) (Tab. 1). Any stingray died t o s e r o (WORTON, 1989; CALENGE, 2019). during the experiment, with all individuals being detected moving s , t i h n

In addition, an estimation of the linear home range (m) for e

during the study period. a v b u each stingray was obtained, measuring the distance between the i o l n d e Home range size and habitat preference i

farthest points where the individuals were detected during the v r e a r Stingrays were detected close to the release sites (n=8) or b boat transects in relation to the release sites. The possibility of a s i i l t i t y relationship between body mass and home range was tested using (n=5) moved some hundred meters upstream or downstream, y h t o o returning to the release sites after five to 39 days. Home range t the Pearson correlation coefficient. To investigate the existence of a s f p i s o h diel vertical movement pattern, we compared the depth values for estimates was obtained for 11 individuals, since two stingrays t e o r f i t

each individual between day and night and in the dry and rainy (id42000 and id42600) did not have enough reallocations (> 5) to e h s e o seasons. To perform these analyzes, we used the normality test be included in this analysis. N f e t o h t e Table 1. Potamotrygon motoro. Summary of tagged individuals and monitoring results in Bita river, Orinoco basin, Colombia (F: Female; M: Male; DW: Disc Width). r o o p c

Number of i e Stingray ID Sex DW (cm) Weight (kg) Monitoring period (date) Monitoring (days) Linear Home Range (m) c l a reallocations l a l r t e 41400 F 36.9 2.740 13 mar – 17 sep 2017 187 16 1,139.5 e g r i i o 41500 M 30.0 1.460 13 mar – 03 aug 2017 142 20 464.0 v n e 41600 F 30.0 1.660 13 mar – 28 aug 2017 167 21 1,011.3 r 41700 M 33.0 2.150 13 mar – 17 sep 2017 187 26 168.3 41800 F 29.0 1.360 13 mar – 17 sep 2017 187 27 336.6 42000 M 33.0 1.892 13 mar – 15 mar 2017 1 2 321.9 42300 F 34.0 2.000 13 mar – 17 sep 2017 187 27 939.2 42400 M 33.5 1.980 13 mar – 23 aug 2017 162 22 1,607.7 42500 M 45.0 4.300 15 mar – 10 aug 2017 148 16 4,075.7 42600 F 29.0 1.140 15 mar – 29 apr 2017 45 4 1,391.8 42700 M 29.0 1.135 15 mar – 10 aug 2017 148 16 732.0 42800 M 23.0 0.705 16 mar – 28 aug 2017 165 18 1,280.1 45700 F 31.0 1.640 11 abr – 17 sep 2017 151 20 755.8

The MCP showed that stingrays used an area ranging from 120 0.00360 to 11.86735 km2 (average 2.57742 km2) (Fig. 3A). Within 100 ) this area, the UD identified a zone of higher activity at 70%, in 2 80 which six of the 11 individuals remained during the study. This 60 Kernel 95% zone comprised a stretch of the main channel of the Bita river with ange (km 40 Kernel 70% low current and sandy bottom, and the lower course of a small 20 Kernel 50% stream – the “Caño Mosco”, a tributary of Bita River with a predom- Home R 0 inance of debris over sand bottom (Figs. 3B – C). Linear home -20 range was 1,094.2 ± 999.1 m, with the farthest and the nearest 600 1600 2600 3600 4600 detections from the release sites estimated in 4,075.7 m (id42500) Body mass (g) Figure 4. Relationship between Kernel home range (km²) and body mass (g). Black, dark grey and and 168.3 m (id41700), respectively. Body mass was not signifi- light gray circles correspond to Kernel estimation with 95%, 70% and 50% density, respectively. cantly correlated with home range size (R² =0.01, p=0.84; (95%) Diel and seasonal movements R² =0.006, p=0.40; R² =0.007, p=0.39) (Fig. 4). (70%) (50%) During the day, stingrays stayed motionless or realized short-

A ID distance horizontal movements (around 10 m) in the river chan- 41400 B 41500 6°12.0' 41600 41700 41800 nel, in average depths of 2.2 ±2.0 m, with a temperature of 28.8 42000 42300 42400 6°12.2' 42500 ±1.2°C. At night, stingrays were found in shallower waters (1.7 6°11.4' 42600 42700 42800 45700 ±1.8 m), close to the margins, moving, in waters around 29.3 Cañ o Mosco 6°10.8' Cañ o Arizal ±1.0°C (Fig. 5). Tres Bocas 6°12.1'

N N 6°10.2' 0 500 1000m 0 500 1000m -67°39.0' -67°38.4' -67°37.8' -67°37.2' -67°36.6' -67°39.2' -67°39.1' -67°39.0' 0.5 30.5 A B C 0 30.0 -0.5 e (°C) -1 29.5 atur -1.5 29.0 Depht (m) -2 emper

T 28.5 -2.5 -3 28.0 Figure 3. Detections of Potamotrygon motoro in the Bita river and its tributaries (Caño Mosco, Caño Day Night Day Night Arizal and Tres Bocas) (A). Caño Mosco was identiied as a zone of high activity for P. motoro in the Figure 5. Mean depth (A) and temperature (B) values of the stingrays over the monitoring period study area (B). In detail, the shallow waters with riparian vegetation in Caño Mosco (C). (13th March – 17th September 2017). Vertical lines represent standard deviation.

Biota Amazônia ISSN 2179-5746 Considering the depth data for the stingrays per season, in the potamotrygonid stingrays fisheries, being considered as one of the dry season the average was 0.3 ±0.3 m during the day and 0.3 ±0.4 main work fronts for the ornamental fishers who inhabit the small 41 G s A t A i s n m during the night, with no significant difference between periods villages or some cities of the region, especially Puerto Carreño R m g R r a O a

(W=307; p=0.2613) (Fig. 6A). In the rainy season the depth means (SANCHEZ-DUARTE et al., 2013; AUNAP, 2015). This municipality l N l y , h E P - were 4.1 ±0.5m during the day and 3.6 ±0.7m at night, with a is the second in terms of importance for the capture of o o N m t E a e T significant difference (t=2.331; df=34.526; p=0.02572) between potamotrygonid stingrays in the Orinoco basin. Some estimates m O r o a , t D night and day activity (Fig. 6B). Although the differences between indicate that between 1999 and 2011, 81,109 individuals of n r . g y e e g depths throughout the day were not significant during the dry potamotrygonid stingrays were exported from Colombia (LASSO t o a i n n l . c season, data related to the months in which the river level was et al., 2013), and that between 2012 to 2016, at least 36,136 indi- m r e o a t o highest (May to September) indicate a pattern of diel vertical viduals of P. motoro were sold to other countries (AUNAP, 2017). s e r o This scenario of exploitation of P. motoro indicates an urgent s movement, with stingrays shifting its position in the water column , t i h n e along the day. need to review quotas and establish rules for its capture in Colom- a v b u i o

bia, since the species is potentially vulnerable to anthropic l

-2.5 n A B d e 0.2 i v impacts, especially to indiscriminate extraction and overfishing r e -3 a r b s

0 i (DRIOLI; CHIARAMONTE, 2009; CALDAS et al., 2010; LASSO et al., i l t -3.5 i t y y -0.2 2016b). In addition to the high level of exploitation of P. motoro in h t o

-4 o t s f

the study area, a recent study on the mitochondrial DNA diversity p i s

-0.4 o Depht (m)

Depht (m) -4.5 h t

of the species suggested the existence of at least two independent e o r f

-0.6 -5 i t e h

management units in Colombia: one for the Orinoco basin and s e o

-0.8 -5.5 N another for the Amazon basin (RENZA-MILLAN et al., 2019). f Day Night Day Night e t o h t e

Figure 6. Diel movements of Potamotrygon motoro during the dry (A) and the rainy (B) seasons. These data indicated a high level of genetic differentiation between r o o

No signiicant diﬀerence was observed during the dry season (Mann-Whithney; p=0.25). A p c i

the Amazon and Orinoco populations of P. motoro, which can e signiicant diﬀerence was observed in the rainy season (t-Student; p=0.028). The gray columns c l a l a represent the mean values and the vertical lines represent the standard deviation. l

aggravate the effects of an overexploitation scenario once fishing r t e e g r

activities could be significantly reduce the genetical diversity in i i o Discussion v n e Despite the ecological and commercial importance of the these populations. r As P. motoro was identified as a high-priority taxa for research freshwater stingrays of the family Potamotrygonidae into South efforts according to the National Plan for the Conservation and America, especially in the Orinoco and Amazon basins, no data on Management of Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras of Colombia, it is fine-scale movements of these animals are available. Thus, the important to consider that the results presented here, in addition present study reveals pioneering information on this topic, sug- to the genetical diversity data, indicate that the species may be gesting that Potamotrygon motoro changes its bathymetric distri- more threatened than is currently believed. Besides the reduction bution between day and night, using preferably the shallow waters in the genetical diversity, the indiscriminate extraction can be of lentic environments with riparian vegetation and over sand particularly harmful to P. motoro, once the telemetry data in this bottom, especially during the night. The movement data also paper evidenced a small home range for the species (and probably indicate that P. motoro is a small-ranging species, performing a strong site fidelity) and, consequently, that a fishing effort con- short-distance horizontal movements daily or weekly and usually 2 centrated in its preferred habitat can be critical. Thus, in a context using an area less than 2.6 km . Previous studies had already suggested that stingrays of the in which the Bita river is an important fishing area for the orna- genus Potamotrygon present a predominantly nocturnal activity, mental trade in the Orinoco basin and comprises part of a Ramsar moving from the river channel to the margins during the twilight site that is considered has a high-priority area for ichthyological and night (GARRONE-NETO; SAZIMA, 2009; GARRONE-NETO; studies and fisheries management in Colombia, information on the UIEDA, 2012; MORALES-BETANCOURT; LASSO, 2016). These spatial ecology of P. motoro can be useful to identify critical habi- studies suggest that the diel shift in habitat use by species such as tats and help to guide conservation strategies for the species and P. motoro and another congener, P. falkneri, is predominantly asso- its congeners. ciated with a nocturnal feeding activity. This idea is based on field Acknowledgments observations, which also indicate that the nocturnal feeding activ- The fieldwork would not have been possible without the ity of Potamotrygon species coincides with similar shifts in the exceptional collaboration of Mitchell M. Sisak (Lotek Wireless behaviour of potential prey, such as small fish, aquatic insects and Inc./Canada), Fundación Orinoquia (Puerto Carreño/Colombia), crustaceans (GARRONE-NETO; SAZIMA, 2009; GARRONE-NETO; and friendly people and fishers from the Novoa and Unda families UIEDA, 2012; MORALES-BETANCOURT; LASSO, 2016). The telem- (Puerto Carreño/Colombia). We thank two anonymous reviewers etry results obtained in the present study corroborate these find- for helpful suggestions that greatly improved the manuscript. This ings, highlighting the potential of animal-borne technologies to study was partially funded by the São Paulo Research Founda- improve the understanding on the behaviour of potamotrygonid tion/Brazil (FAPESP grant #2011/18513-9, telemetry equipment) stingrays in the wild. However, while telemetry data refines knowl- and by the Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alex- edge about the movement ecology of P. motoro in the Orinoco ander von Humboldt/Colombia (POA 2017, field support). The basin, a small home range can increase the vulnerability of the capture, handling and tagging procedures were carried out in species to fisheries. accordance with the Colombian laws, under the supervision of the In the Orinoco basin, in the same way as in the Amazon basin, Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute P. motoro and its congeners are highly targeted by ornamental of Colombia. fisheries. Unlike many other ornamental freshwater fishes, potamotrygonid stingrays are traded individually and have a high References unit value in the market (e.g., fishers, traders, exporters and AUNAP - AUTORIDAD NACIONAL DE ACUICULTURA Y PESCA. Propuesta de cuotas importers) (GALVIS-VERGARA et al., 2007; MANCERA- globales de pesca para la vigencia 2018. Bogotá: Autoridad Nacional de Acuicultura y Pesca, 2017. RODRIG UEZ; ALVAREZ-LEO N, 2008; SANCHEZ-DUARTE et al., 2013). In the study area, the Bita river is a hotspot for

Biota Amazônia ISSN 2179-5746 AUNAP - AUTORIDAD NACIONAL DE ACUICULTURA Y PESCA/FUNDACIO N de agua dulce (Potamotrygonidae) en el área de influencia de los HUMEDALES Y UNILLANOS. Evaluación biológico-Pesquera de las rayas municipios de Puerto Carreño (Vichada) e Inıŕ ida (Guainıá ), Orinoquia 42 G s A t A

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