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A First Record of Odontaspis Noronhai (Lamniformes: Odontaspididae)

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A First Record of Odontaspis Noronhai (Lamniformes: Odontaspididae) Northeast Gulf Science Volume 8 Article 8 Number 2 Number 2 11-1986 A First Record of Odontaspis noronhai (Lamniformes: Odontaspididae) for the Western North Atlantic, with Notes on Two Uncommon Sharks from the Gulf of Mexico Steven Branstetter Texas A&M University John D. McEachran Texas A&M University DOI: 10.18785/negs.0802.08 Follow this and additional works at: https://aquila.usm.edu/goms Recommended Citation Branstetter, S. and J. D. McEachran. 1986. A First Record of Odontaspis noronhai (Lamniformes: Odontaspididae) for the Western North Atlantic, with Notes on Two Uncommon Sharks from the Gulf of Mexico. Northeast Gulf Science 8 (2). Retrieved from https://aquila.usm.edu/goms/vol8/iss2/8 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by The Aquila Digital Community. It has been accepted for inclusion in Gulf of Mexico Science by an authorized editor of The Aquila Digital Community. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Branstetter and McEachran: A First Record of Odontaspis noronhai (Lamniformes: Odontaspidida Northeast Gulf Science Vol. 8, No. 2 November 1986 153 A FIRST RECORD OF Odontaspis The intact specimens of Odontaspis noronhai (LAMNIFORMES: noronhai, Hexanchus griseus, and one ODONTASPIDIDAE) FOR THE juvenile Carcharhinus signatus were WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC, deposited in the Texas Cooperative Wild­ WITH NOTES ON TWO life Collections (TCWC), Texas A&M Uni­ UNCOMMON SHARKS FROM versity. Cleaned, dried, and varnished THE GULF OF MEXICO jaws of four other C. signatus were placed in the private collection of the Large deep-water sharks are poorly senior author. known and poorly represented in museum collections for several reasons. Odontaspis noronhai (Maul, 1955) Their large size presents difficulties in adequately preserving and storing them. Odontaspis noronhai is known from In addition, open-ocean waters are not only a few specimens; two from Madeira, intensely fished with appropriate gear to the type locality (Maul, 1955; in I itt.), nine collect these fishes. In offshore waters from off Brazil (Sadowsky et at., 1984), of the Gulf of Mexico the most common and a set of teeth from the Indian type of effort which yields sharks is the Ocean/South China sea area (Compagno, commercial swordfish/tuna longline 1984; Sadowsky et at., 1984). Here we operation during the winter months. report the first capture for the western Shark captures are still few because the North Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Our gear is not designed to retai!l sharks, and specimen, a 321 em immature female with the limited onboa.rd storage (TCWC 3922.1) was taken 10 March 1984 capabilities and lack of monetary value approximately 70 miles east of Port of sharks, they are not often landed. With Isabel, Texas (ca. 26° 30'N 96° 15W) in the cooperation of several commercial the upper 100 m of water 640 m deep. longliners we have obtained specimens The specimen was identified as 0. of three poorly known shark species, and noronhai based on its tooth formula and report on them here. the posterior position of the pelvic fins. Our specimen (Fig. 1b) differs in several MATERIALS AND METHODS aspects from the holotype (Fig. 1a); thus the specimen is completely described All specimens were collected during below. A 342 em specimen illustrated by commercial swordfish longline opera­ Sadowsky, et at. (1984) agrees more tions in the western Gulf of Mexico. closely with our specimen than the Longlines were fished in the upper 100 holotype also. m of water along the edge of the Description: Body relatively slender. continental shelf (140-730 m). All Head slightly depressed with a low measurements were made on a straight rounded interorbital crest which tapers line between perpendiculars and the to snout tip. Snout sharply pointed; 4.9 caudal fin was placed in a natural into head length. Spiracle small, located position (Dodrill, 1977; Branstetter, 1980). behind and lateral to ventral margin of Total lengths are used throughout this eye, distance from eye 1.73 into horizon­ report. Tooth terminology follows tal eye diameter. Eye large, vertically Applegate (1965) were P = posteriors, L oval, 3.27 into snout. Upper and lower jaw = laterals, I = intermediates, A = labial folds short; approximately equal in anteriors, and S = symphyseals. length. Teeth 34/37: Published by The Aquila Digital Community, 1986 1 Gulf of Mexico Science, Vol. 8 [1986], No. 2, Art. 8 154 Short papers and notes (P)4-(L)1 0·(1)1-(A)2-(S)O--O(S)-2(A)-1 (1)-1 O(L)-4(P) upper and lower lobe tips; lower lobe (P + L + I + A)16······(S)2--2(S)-·····17(A + I + L + P) sharply pointed, upper lobe 2.5 into pre­ caudal length (PCL). All fins very ragged teeth in lower jaw outside symphyseals and darker on trailing edge. Color after gradually decreasing in length; teeth in freezing gray with brownish-red under­ both jaws with single cusplet on each tones. Lateral line produced and distinct side of main cusp; cusps smooth edged. from head to tip of upper caudal lobe in First two gill slits equal in length, third fresh specimen; not as distinct after longest, fifth shortest. Pectoral fins preservation. broadly triangular, trailing edge much Members of the family Odontaspi­ shorter than leading edge. First dorsal fin didae are poorly understood taxinomi­ low, longer than high, tip rounded; origin cally, and the group is in need of revision over tip of apressed pectoral fin. Second (Bigelow and Schroeder, 1948; Garrick, dorsal fin shape similar to first but 1974; Bass et a!., 1975a; Compagno, distinctly smaller; origin over posterior 1984). Several nominal species have been one-third of pelvic fin base. End of pelvic found to be varied morphs of 0. taurus fin base under anterior half of second (Compagno, 1984). However, 0. noronhai dorsal fin base. Pelvic fins large. Anal fin is distinguished from all other nominal triangular, sides sub-equal; origin under species in the family except 0. terox midpoint of free tip of second dorsal fin. (synonymized with 0. herbsti, fide Free tip of anal fin anterior to pre-caudal Compagno, 1984) by having a 2(A) tooth notch. Pre-caudal notch W~?ll developed count in the upper jaw instead of 3(A). 0. above, slight depression present ven­ noronhai is distinguished from 0. terox trally. Caudal fin broad and stout; trailing in that it has only one cusplet on each edge of fin almost a straight line between side of the main cusp vs. two for 0. ferox, (A) Figure 1. a) holotype of Odontaspis noronhai (redrawn from Maul, 1955; Fig. 4); b) 0. noronhai from the Gulf of Mexico. Note relative differences in fin placement between the two specimens. https://aquila.usm.edu/goms/vol8/iss2/8 2 DOI: 10.18785/negs.0802.08 Branstetter and McEachran: A First Record of Odontaspis noronhai (Lamniformes: Odontaspidida Northeast Gulf Science Vol. 8, No. 2 November 1986 155 and it has a 1(1) tooth count in the upper jaw vs. 4(1) in 0. ferox. 0. noronhai has the pelvic fin base under the origin of the second dorsal fin, whereas all other nominal species in the family have the pelvic fins positioned anterior to the second dorsal fin origin. Our specimen differs from the much smaller holotype in several morpho­ metric and meristic characters, and the variations are assumed to be from allometric growth. However, the holotype was stuffed, and some morphometric differences may be an artifact of the difference in preservation methods. A second smaller specimen from Madeira which was preserved in liquid more closely matches our specimen in morphometries as do the large specimens taken from off Brazil (Table 1). The lack of upper jaw symphyseal teeth Figure 2. a) upper jaw of Odontaspis noronhai taken in our specimen (Fig. 2a) is.in agreement from the Gulf of Mexico showing diagnostic tooth with two large specimens (342, 360 em) formula and lack of symphyseal teeth; b) lower jaw of same specimen showing diagnostic tooth from off Brazil (Sadowsky eta!., 1984) but formula. the much smaller holotype has a minute symphyseal file (row) on each side, and the free tip of the second dorsal fin; the a 353 em specimen from Brazil had one free tip of the anal fin ends under the pre­ file on the left side only. These teeth caudal notch; the first dorsal fin origin must disappear with growth. In the lower is over the pectoral axil; the upper caudal jaw, our specimen has two files of lobe is 2.25 into pre-caudal length; eye symphyseal teeth on each side (Fig. 2b), diameter is 2.7 into snout length; and the in agreement with the Madeiran speci­ snout is 4.0 into head length (Maul, 1955) mens (Maul1955; pers. comm. 1984), and (see description above and Fig. 1 for the 353 em specimen from Brazil but the comparisons). other two specimens from Brazil have The internal anatomy of 0. noronhai 3(S) counts each side (Sadowsky et a!., is similar to other odontaspidids. Our 1984). Only the outer file of symphyseal specimen is immature with little teeth continues to the front of the jaw; reproductive tract development. The the inner files are located on the inner functional right ovary is approximately jaw ridge (Fig. 2b). Lateral series (L) tooth 10 x 5 em with no follicles present. counts for Brazilian specimens and the Oviducts are small and tubular, 1 em in set of teeth from the Indian Ocean/South diameter. The uteri are short (< 50 em) China Sea are higher (12-13) than in our and 3 em in diameter. The hymen cover­ specimen or the Madeiran specimens.
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