The Sardinian large elasmobranch database by Tiziano STORAI (1), Benedetto CRISTO (2), Marco ZUFFA (3), Luca ZINZULA (4), Antonello FLORIS (5) & Arcangela Tiziana CAMPANILE (6) ABSTRACT. - Elasmobranchs have been recorded off Sardinia (Central Mediterranean Sea) since ancient times, however their biodiversity has been little studied until now. The Sardinian Large Elasmobranch Database (SLED) is a non-govern- ment project, carried out by the Istituto di Scienze Naturali e Biologia Marina of Olbia, the DNAquA laboratory of Cagliari and the cooperation of other independent researchers. The main objective of this project is the compilation of historical and recent records of Elasmobranch species in Sardinian waters. Since 2004, the research has identified 26 species of sharks, representing 15 families. The resulting database will be a useful tool for various studies on Sardinian coastal biodiversity and monitoring. RÉSUMÉ. - La base de données sarde sur les grands élasmobranches. Les élasmobranches ont été signalés dans les eaux de Sardaigne (Méditerranée centrale) depuis longtemps, mais leur biodiversité a été peu étudiée jusqu’à présent. La “Base de données sarde sur les grands élasmobranches” (SLED) est une initiative privée conduite par l’Istituto di Scienze Naturali e Biologia Marina d’Olbia, par le laboratoire DNAquA d e Cagliari et avec la collaboration de quelques chercheurs indépendants. Il a pour but principal de rassembler les données historiques et contemporaines concernant les espèces d’élasmobranches présentes dans les eaux de Sardaigne. Depuis 2004, on a recensé 26 espèces de requins appartenant à 15 familles. Cette base de données constituera un outil utile pour diverses études sur la biodiversité des côtes sardes et sa gestion. Key words. - Elasmobranchs - MED - Sardinia - Database - Biodiversity. Elasmobranch biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea has METHODS USED BY SLED been the objective of several recent studies (Bertand et al. , 2000; Soldo, 2003; Serena, 2005), however some areas, To collect historical and recent data, SLED has adopted such as the waters of Sardinia (Central Mediterranean, the following methods: Italy), need more investigation, even though records have a) Surveys of various Sardinian fishery landing sites been collected since the 18th Century (Cetti, 1777). T h e (Olbia, Golfo Aranci, Santa Teresa di Gallura, A l g h e r o , Sardinian Large Elasmobranch Database (SLED) is a non- Bosa, Arbatax, Cagliari), according to a random methodolo- government project carried out by the Istituto di Scienze gy. Naturali e Biologia Marina of Olbia (I. Sn. Bm.), the b) Study of the specimens preserved in the collections of D N A q u A laboratory of Cagliari and other independent the universities of Cagliari and Sassari. researchers. Its main purpose is to collect historical and c) Analysis of the scientific literature related to species of recent data on Elasmobranch species occurring in Sardinian small size, caught as by-catch in commercial fisheries (Reli- waters. The present paper aims to present the methodology ni et al., 2000; De Maddalena and Piscitelli, 2001; Catalano adopted by SLED, and its preliminary checklist of Sardini- et al., 2003), and to species recorded for the first time in the an sharks, complementary to that for the skates (Follesa e t area (Fergusson and Compagno, 2000; Vacchi and Serena, a l., 2003) 2000). (1) DNAquA - Laboratorio di Ricerche e Studi sulla vita marina, Via San Carlo Borromeo 1, 09100 Cagliari (CA), ITALY. [[email protected]] (2) Istituto di Scienze Naturali e Biologia Marina, Via Vulcano 44, 07026 Olbia (OT), ITALY. [[email protected]] (3) Museo “L. Donini”, Via Prunaro 1, 40064 Ozzano nell’Emilia (BO), ITALY. [[email protected]] (4) DNAquA - Laboratorio di Ricerche e Studi sulla vita marina, Via San Carlo Borromeo 1, 09100 Cagliari (CA), ITALY. [[email protected]] (5) Istituto di Scienze Naturali e Biologia Marina, Via Vulcano 44, 07026 Olbia (OT), ITALY. [anfl[email protected]] (6) DNAquA - Laboratorio di Ricerche e Studi sulla vita marina, Via San Carlo Borromeo 1, 09100 Cagliari (CA), ITALY. [[email protected]] Cybium 2006, 30(4) suppl.: 141-144. The Sardinian elasmobranch database STORAI ET AL. People involved in SLED activities are volunteers; they all offer their time and competence to collect the data, and to compile them into the database. Since 2004, the present authors organized a network composed of SLED members, institutional correspondents and occa- sional collectors (tourists, divers, recre- ational fishermen, etc.). The records are classified into three categories: a) Direct record: when the data are collected by a SLED member (Fig. 1). Figure 1. - Record 2006HG047.3, a SLED operator measuring a stranded specimen of H . g r i s e u s near Perdesali (Cagliari). [Signalement 2006HG047.3, un opérateur du SLED b) Indirect record: when the data are mesure un spécimen de H. griseus échoué près de Perdesali (Cagliari).] collected by an institutional correspon- dent or an occasional collector. c) Closed record: when neither the data, nor the event, could be verified by any witness; such as the historical data extracted from literature. The collection of data follows the protocol adopted by the “MedLEM” project, in order to allow comparisons and links. Records are identified by a code of alphanumeric characters (e.g. 2006HG047.3) composed of the year of the record, the initials of the genus and species names of the specimen, a progressive number of the record, and a separate number (from 1 to 4) referring to one of the four areas defined for the Sardinian waters (Fig. 2). Records are also accessible by keywords. The data will be available for both scientific purposes (studies, publications) and popular uses (press releases, doc- umentaries; etc) and accessible online through the web site “ h t t p / / : w w w.dnaqua.it” with restricted access granted by the Webmaster. Periodical updating are scheduled. PRELIMINARY RESULTS In 2006, the database contains 107 records spanning the last 135 years, and consisting of 14 “historical” and 93 “recent” records; 51 records are documented by 192 pho- Figure 2 - The four areas defined for the Sardinia waters; western tographs stored in the base. and eastern areas are separated by Long. 9°00 E; northern and southern areas are separated by lat. 40°09’N. [Les quatre zones SLED has been focusing initially on large sharks because définies pour les eaux sardes ; les zones ouest et est sont séparées they usually are targeted by fisheries; also because they are par le méridien de longitude 9°00’E ; les zones nord et sud sont more commonly sighted, and that their captures (strangling séparées par le parallèle de latitude 40°09’N.] and beaching) are often recorded in various documents. However, all shark species, whatever the size, are recordable d) Collecting records of large sized species from com- in the database. mercial fisheries, Coast Guard, local authorities, sanitary Table I provides the preliminary list of the 26 shark o rganizations, environmental conservation groups, associa- species recorded in SLED. Two other species, Lamna nasus tions, diving centres, and recreational fishermen. When pos- (Bonnaterre, 1788) and Mustelus asterias (Cloquet, 1821), sible, photographic material has been collected. have been reported by local fishermen by their common e) Analysis of the popular literature, newspapers, maga- names, however their occurrence in Sardinian waters has yet zines, etc. to be confirmed. 142 Cybium 2006, 30(4) suppl. STORAI ET AL. The Sardinian elasmobranch database Table I. - Preliminary list of shark species recorded from Sardinian waters (from SLED database). [Liste pro v i s o i re des espèces de re q u i n s signalées dans les eaux sardes (d’après la base de données SLED).] Hexanchidae Alopiidae Heptranchias perlo (Bonnaterre, 1788) Alopias superciliosus (Lowe, 1840) Hexanchus griseus (Bonnaterre, 1788). Alopias vulpinus (Bonnaterre, 1788). Squalidae Cetorhinidae Squalus acanthias Smith & Radcliffe, 1912 Cetorhinus maximus (Gunnerus, 1765). Lamnidae Squalus blainvillei (Risso, 1826) Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758) Centrophoridae Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque,1810. Ce n t r op h o r us granulosus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) Scyliorhinidae Etmopteridae Galeus melastomus Rafinesque, 1810 Etmopterus spinax (Linnaeus, 1758); . Scyliorhinus canicula (Linnaeus, 1758) Oxynotidae Scyliorhinus stellaris (Linnaeus, 1758). Oxynotus centrina (Linnaeus, 1758). Triakidae Dalatiidae Galeorhinus galeus (Linnaeus, 1758) Dalatias licha (Bonnaterre, 1788); Mustelus mustelus (Linnaeus, 1758). Carcharhinidae Squatinidae Carcharhinus obscurus (LeSueur, 1818) Squatina squatina (Linnaeus, 1758). Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo, 1827) Odontaspididae Prionace glauca (Linnaeus, 1758). Carcharias taurus Rafinesque, 1810 Sphyrnidae Odontaspis ferox (Risso, 1810). Sphyrna zygaena (Linnaeus, 1758). DISCUSSION period of three years, increasing its usefulness for various studies on Sardinian coastal biodiversity and its monitoring. Approximately 54% of the shark species quoted for the A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s. - Thanks to all people who kindly off e r e d Mediterranean Sea have been found in the waters surround- their help during the development of the SLED project, including ing Sardinia (Serena, 2005). This diversity is similar to that D r. Brett Human (Adelaide, Australia), Dr. Tobey Curtis (Bodega observed in neighbouring areas, such as Corsica (Miniconi, B a y, USA), Pr. Anna Maria Deiana (Università di Cagliari), Dr. Angelo Mojetta (Milano Aquarium, Italy) and Dr. Guy Oliver (Uni- 1987) and Tuscany (Storai, 2005). versité de Montpellier, France). Also the authors thank the editor The most common sharks found in the Sardinian fish- for his contribution! eries are E t m o p t e rus spinax and S c y l i o rhinus canicula; oth- ers occasionally caught are: Squatina squatina a n d REFERENCES Scyliorhinus stellaris, in the waters off Olbia and in Golfo B E RTAND J., GIL DE SOLA L., PA PA K O N S TANTINOU C., Aranci, Mustelus mustelus o ff Cagliari. These sharks were RELINI G. & A. SOUPLET, 2000. - Contribution on the distri- not recorded by Relini et al. (2000).