European Monitoring 2014

European monitoring 2014

(as of date 15/10/2014)

Common guitarfish (Rhinobatos rhinobatos) 4th edition 2014

Information on organization of the monitoring program

European Monitoring coordinator: Laura Castellano Acquario di Genova Area Porto Antico – Ponte Spinola Italy [email protected]

Monitoring starting date: 1 March 2010

Older publications: 1st edition: 1 September 2010? 2nd edition: 1 September 2011 3rd edition: 1 November 2013

IUCN status: EN: Endangered - Population trend: decreasing

Introduction

The common guitarfish Rhinobatos rhinobatos is widely distributed in sub-tropical regions of the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. In Europe this species is displayed in 8 Public Aquarium for a total number of 4.7.3 . Only one of the 14 specimens is Captive bred . In 2013 there was a transfer from Siam Park to Loro Parque of a couple. No one had new born or reproduction activities. The captive bred specimens host in Lisbon (PT) come from Zoomarine (PT) were they reproduce or reproduced this specie and we are waiting for them answering the query.

Status and development of the European monitoring program of the Common guitarfish (Rhinobatos rhinobatos) Participants Abbreviation Status Birth Transfer From Death Status 30-09- between the 30-09-2014 2013 MON Aquaria wild In Out

Aquarium de ASS 0.1.0 0.1.0 San Sebastian - E Aquarium La ALR 1.3.0 0.0.0 Rochelle - FR Oceanario de OL 0.1*.0 0.1.0 Lisboa - PT Ocearium du OC 1.1.0 1.1.0 Croisic – FR Skansen- SK 0.0.3 0.0.3 Akvariet - ? Tropicarium TSW 0.1.0 0.1.0 Sweden- SW Acquario di AdG 1.1.0 1.1.0 Genova - IT Loro Parque – LP 1.1.0 1.1.0 2.2.0 E Siam Park - E SP 1.1.0 1.1.0 0.0.0 Total # 5.10.3 0.0.0 0.0.0 0.0.0 0.0.0 0.0.0 4.7.3 participants 1 male.female.unknown * CB

List of participants Abbrevia Name City Country Contact name E-mail tion institution ASS Aquarium de San Spain Amalia Martínez de [email protected] San Sebastian Sebastian Murguía OL Oceanario de Lisboa Portugal Nuria Baylina [email protected] Lisboa

3 OC Ocearium du Le Croisic France Vikie Beduneau [email protected] Croisic SK Skansen- Sweden Axel Berglund [email protected] Akvariet

TSW Tropicarium Sweden Stefan Farksdi [email protected] Sweden AdG Acquario di Genova Italy Laura Castellano lcastellano@costaedutainm Genova ent.it LP Loro Parque Tenerife Spain Xoan Domingues [email protected] /Siam Park

Long term development of the European monitoring program of the Common guitarfish (Rhinobatos rhinobatos) Participants # Status Birth Transfer From Death Status participants 1-1 between the 31-12 MON Aquaria wild In Out 2010 2011 8.11.12 8.11.12 2012 2013 8.11.13° 5.10.3 2014 4.7.3 1.1.0 1.1.0 4.7.3

1 male.female.unknown °3.2.9 specimes in Valencia and 1.3.0 in La Rochelle has been correctly identified as R. cemiculus

Taxonomy issues

This species is really similar to R. cemiculus, the identification is not easy and sure. The specimens held in Valencia (E) and La Rochelle (F) firstly identified as R. rhinobatos are now correctly identified as R. cemiculus . There could be other misidentifications in the actual census. One key point for id is the snout angle that is =65° in R. rhinobatos and <60°>65° in R. cemiculus.

Conservation activities:

Rhinobatos rhinobatos as well as R. cemiculus have undergone severe declines in abundance and area of occupancy in the Mediterranean Sea, to the point of probable local extinction in some areas. Both were once common in the northern Mediterranean, but were absent from MEDITS trawl surveys between 1994-1999, have disappeared from landings, and appear to have been extirpated in the northern Mediterranean. In contrast, Rhinobatos spp. are still regularly landed off Tunisia (~200T per year), mainly in the Gulf of Gabes, where they are taken as bycatch year-round and targeted during May-July by a small coastal net fleet. However, the high proportion of juveniles in these catches suggests that this population may also be overfished. The primary threat to these species is unsustainable catch in fisheries, although their inshore distribution makes them particularly vulnerable to human impacts on coastal habitats, including degradation of their shallow water nursery

4 grounds. UNEP MAP RAC/SPA (2003) noted that there was an urgent need to assess the threatened status of Rhinobatos spp. Both guitarfish species have been assessed as Endangered globally and regionally in the Mediterranean Sea on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Surplus animals or aquaria looking for animals: Jerusalem Zoo (Noam Y. Werner : [email protected] )in Israel is in the process of building a new aquarium facility. The aquarium expected opening is in early 2016. They we would like to display the common guitarfish as native to the Mediterranean Sea waters of Israel. Their first priority would be to acquire captive-born specimens so they are looking for up to 5 available specimens.

Bibliography Published information on the comprehensive biology and ecology of R. rhinobatos is scarce.

Abdel-Aziz, S.H., Khalil, A.N., Abdel-Maguid, S.A., 1993. Reproductive cycle of the common guitarfish, Rhinobatos rhinobatos (Linnaeus, 1758), in Alexandria waters Mediterranean Sea. Aust. J. Mar. Freshwater Res. 44, 507–517.

Capape, C., Zaouali, J., Quignard, J.P., 1975. Premieres donnees sur le cycle de reproduction de Rhinobatos rhinobatos (Linne, 1758) et de Rhinobatos cemiculus Geoffroy Saint-Hailaire 1817 des côtes tunisiennes. Archs. Inst. Pasteur Tunis. 52, 47–60.

Capape, C., Zaouali, J., 1981. Etude du regime alimentaire de deux Selaciens communs dans le golfe de Gabes (Tunisie): Rhinobatos rhinobatos (Linne, 1758) et Rhinobatos cemiculus (Geoffroy Saint-Hailaire 1817). Archs. Inst. Pasteur Tunis. 56, 285–306.

Capape, C., Zaouali, J., 1994. Distribution and reproductive biology of the blackchin guitarfish Rhinobatos cemiculus (Pisces: Rhinobatidae) in Tunisian waters (Central Mediterranean). Aust. J. Mar. Freshwater Res. 45, 551–561.

Capape, C., Ben Brahim, R., Zaouali, J., 1997. Aspects de la biologie de la reproduction de Rhinobatos rhinobatos (Rhinobatidae) des eaux tunisiennes. Icthyophysiol. Acta 20, 113–127.

Capape, C., Gueye-N’diaye, A., Seck, A.A., 1999. Observations sur la biologie de la reproduction de la guitare commune, Rhinobatos rhinobatos (L., 1758) (Rhinobatidae) de la presqu’ile du cap-vert (Senegal, Atlantique Oriental Tropical). Icthyophysiol. Acta 20, 113–127.

McEachran, J.D., Capape, C., 1984. Rhinobatidae. In: Whitehead, P.J.P., Bauchot, M.L., Hureau, C., Nielsen, J., Tortonese, E. (Eds.), Fishes of the North-Eastarn Atlantic and the Mediterranean, vol. 1. UNESCO, Paris, pp. 156–158.

Stehmann, M., 1981. Rhinobatidae. In: Fisher, W., Bianchi, G., Scott, W.B. (Eds.), FAO Species Identification Sheets for Fisheries Purposes: Eastern Central Atlantic, Fishing Areas 34 and 47_ (in part). FAO, Ottawa. Stehmann, M., 1990. Rhinobatidae. In: Quero, J.C., Hureau, J.C., Karrer, C., Post, A., Saldanha, L. (Eds.), Check-list of the Fishes of the Eastern Tropical Atlantic, vol. 1. UNESCO, Paris, pp. 23–27.