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Aetobatus Narinari) in the Los Frailes Archipelago, Venezuela

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Aetobatus Narinari) in the Los Frailes Archipelago, Venezuela Exploitation and reproduction of the spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) in the Los Frailes Archipelago, Venezuela Item Type article Authors Tagliafico, Alejandro; Rago, Néstor; Rangel, Salomé; Mendoza, Jeremy Download date 30/09/2021 16:59:30 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/1834/25576 307 Abstract—We studied a small ar tis- Exploitation and reproduction of anal fishery for the spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) off Margarita the spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) Island in northeastern Venezuela. We analyzed data from 413 fishing in the Los Frailes Archipelago, Venezuela trips directed at A. narinari over a 29-month sampling period (August Alejandro Tagliafico (contact author)1 2005–December 2007). These trips 1 yielded 55.9 metric tons and 1352 Néstor Rago individuals from which a subsample Salomé Rangel2 of 846 females and 321 males was 3 used for biological data. Maximum Jeremy Mendoza fishing effort and landings occurred Email address for contact author: [email protected] between February and May, and catch 1 Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agrícolas per unit of effort was highest between La Asunción, Isla de Margarita, Venezuela December and February and between Present address: Escuela de Ciencias Aplicadas del Mar July and October with an overall Universidad de Oriente average of 3 individuals and 133 kg Boca de Río, Isla de Margarita, Venezuela per trip. The overall sex ratio was 2 Departamento de Ciencias significantly different from 1:1 with Universidad de Oriente a predominance of females. Females Isla de Margarita, Venezuela ranged in size with disc widths (DW) from 64 to 226 cm. Males ranged in 3 Instituto Oceanográfico de Venezuela size between 97 and 190 cm DW. Universidad de Oriente, Apdo. 245 There was no statistically significant Cumaná, Venezuela difference between male and female length-weight relationships. Mean fecundity was estimated at 3.09 embryos per female, and the largest embryo measured 44.5 cm DW. Females in different maturity stages were found in all months, except The spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus Aetobatus narinari is observed us- November 2007, the month when all nar inari) until recently had been ually in coastal environments, such females were immature. Postgravid considered a cosmopolitan species as bays and coral reefs, and occa- females occurred mainly during distributed in tropical and warm, sionally in estuarine habitats. In the periods of January–May and temperate waters. However, recent inshore waters, it has been observed July–October. Mean length (L50) at genetic analysis indicates that what to depths of 60 m and is known to maturity was estimated at 129.2 cm was thought to be a single species is travel long distances across open DW for males and 134.9 cm DW for actually a species complex with at least waters (International Union for females. This study provides much 2 separate species, 1 for the western the Conservation of Nature [IUCN] needed information on the biology and life history of A. narinari for and central Pacific and at least 1 for Red List of Threatened Species, the management of an intensive, the eastern Pacific and central Atlantic vers. 2011.2 [Available from http:// directed, small-scale fishery for this (Richards et al., 2009; Schluessel et www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/de- little known species in northeastern al., 2010a). Furthermore, White et tails/39415/0, accessed July 2011]). Venezuela. al. (2010) in a taxonomic review of The spotted eagle ray is a benthic this species complex es tablished feeder with a diet consisting mainly that Aetobatus ocellatus is the valid of bivalve and gastropod molluscs species name for the Indo-West Pacific (Randall, 1967, for A. narinari; region. Both species are very similar Schluessel et al., 2010b for A. ocella- morphologically, and the major physical tus), but it also consumes cephalopods, difference occurs in the background crustaceans, and teleost fishes. It is dorsal coloration (White et al. 2010). found to be solitary or to swim in Because most previous studies have large schools of up to several hundred been conducted in the Indo-Pacific individuals (McEachran and de Car- region, this taxonomic redefinition valho, 2002). significantly reduces the available Little is known about the biology Manuscript submitted 20 October 2011. Manuscript accepted 7 May 2012. scientific literature on the biology and and reproduction of A. narinari. Indi- Fish. Bull. 110:307–316 (2012). fisheries of A. narinari. In the western viduals reach large sizes, and if the Atlantic, A. narinari is found from distance between both extremes of The views and opinions expressed Chesapeake Bay and Bermuda to the the pectoral fins or disc width (DW) or implied in this article are those of the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and is used as a measure of length, the author (or authors) and do not necessarily reflect the position of the National Marine south to Brazil (Cervigón and Alcalá, maximum reported length is 230 cm Fisheries Service, NOAA. 1999). DW; most reported individuals, how- 308 Fishery Bulletin 110(3) ever, are usually less than 140 cm DW (McEachran and and fishing gear for this area may be found in Méndez- de Carvalho, 2002). Aetobatus narinari has ��������a matro- Arocha (1963), Ginés et al. (1972), Iriarte (1997), and trophic mode of embryonic gestation and fetal nutri- González et al. (2006). tion occurs by lipid histotrophy; and this species has low fecundity with 1–4 pups per litter (McEachran Field sampling and biological data and de Carvalho, 2002). Length at maturity has been estimated for A. ocellatus in the western Pacific and Fishing for the spotted eagle ray is carried out every Indian Oceans, but to our knowledge there is only one month during a period of ~10 days around the full moon. previous report for A. narinari in the Atlantic Ocean Samples were taken during such periods over the 29 (Dubick, 2000). months between August 2005 and December 2007. We The spotted eagle ray is categorized as near threat- registered the number of boats fishing daily, the number ened throughout its range by the IUCN and studies of individuals landed, and their weight in kilograms. The on its catch, abundance, and reproductive biology have retained indices of relative abundance were the number been recommended. However, the conservation status of individuals captured per trip and total kilograms of this species complex needs to be reviewed in light collected per trip. of the recent taxonomic changes (White et al., 2010). To determine the size of A. narinari, DW was meas- The spotted eagle ray is considered of minor com- ured as a proxy for total length in ray (total length can- mercial importance, but it is caught as bycatch with not be reliably measured because tails can be damaged different fishing-gear types, such as trawls, trammel during capture) (Last and Stevens, 2009); therefore, nets, and longlines (Trent et al., 1997; Stobutzki et unless otherwise specified, all subsequent references al., 2002; Grijalba-Bendeck et al., 2007). In the south- to length in this article refer to DW. Specimens were eastern Gulf of Mexico, Cuevas-Zimbrón et al. (2011) weighed with a field balance with a weighing capacity of reported a small-scale, directed fishery for A. narinari. 200 kg and a precision of 1 kg. Sexes were differentiated In Venezuela, A. narinari is considered a common by the presence of claspers in males and their absence species, particularly in insular areas with coral reef in females. cover, such as the Los Roques Archipelago in the Male sexual maturity was verified by checking clasp- north central part of this country (Cervigón, 2005) ers visually and by touch. Individuals were considered and the islands of Coche, Cubagua, and Margarita off mature when claspers were strongly calcified, rotated the northeastern coast. Aetobatus narinari is readily easily around the base, had an extensible distal ex- marketable fresh or salted and is particularly ap- treme (Pratt, 1979; Conrath, 2005), and showed the preciated in eastern Venezuela where it is the main presence of seminal fluid (Bizarro et al., 2007). part of a typical dish (Cervigón and Alcalá, 1999). Female maturity was identified by macroscopic ob- At Margarita Island, we studied a small, directed servation of reproductive organs in fish at the landing fishery to generate information that may contribute site in Puerto Fermín. Individuals were considered to the management and conservation of this little mature (nongravid) or immature based on the pres- known and potentially vulnerable species. ence or absence of fully developed ova in the ovaries (Conrath, 2005). When possible, embryos from gravid females were counted, sex was determined, and DW Materials and methods measured (in centimeters). Postgravid females were recognized by the presence of a well-developed, large, Study area and fishing fleet highly vascularized uterus (Conrath, 2005) that, in most cases, contained intrauterine milk or histotro- The insular state of Nueva Esparta in northeastern phe. Some of these postgravid females were considered Venezuela is formed by the islands of Coche, Cubagua, and gravid if fishermen indicated that abortions occurred Margarita. Margarita and Coche each have an important during hauling of the specimens. concentration of small-scale fishing communities. Puerto Other measurements, such as clasper length, follicle Fermín, also known as El Tirano, is a traditional fishing diameter, uterus width, gonad weight, and liver weight community in northeastern Margarita. Fisheries at could not be obtained because of the speed at which Puerto Fermín mainly use trap gear, but a small number animals were cut and sold on arrival at the landing site of boats target A. narinari around the nearby Los Frailes in Puerto Fermín. The swift cutting and selling of rays Archipelago (63°46′–63°43′N latitude, 11°14′–11°12′W also prevented biological measurements of some of the longitude).
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