CMS Technical Series No. 15 Review of Migratory Chondrichthyan Fishes Review of Migratory Chondrichthyan Fishes Prepared by the Shark Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival Commission on behalf of the CMS Secretariat • CMS Technical Series No. 15 CMS Technical UNEP/CMS Secretariat Public Information Hermann-Ehlers-Str. 10 53113 Bonn, Germany T. +49 228 815-2401/02 F. +49 228 815-2449 www.cms.int Review of Chondrichthyan Fishes IUCN Species Survival Commission’s Shark Specialist Group December 2007 Published by IUCN–The World Conservation Union, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). Review of Chondrichthyan Fishes. 2007. Prepared by the Shark Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival Commission on behalf of the CMS Secretariat. Cover photographs © J. Stafford-Deitsch. Front cover: Isurus oxyrinchus Shortfin mako shark. Back cover, from left: Sphyrna mokarran Great hammerhead shark, Carcharodon carcharias Great white shark, Prionace glauca Blue shark. Maps from Collins Field Guide to Sharks of the World. 2005. IUCN and UNEP/ CMS Secretariat, Bonn, Germany. 72 pages. Technical Report Series 15. This publication was prepared and printed with funding from the CMS Secretariat and Department for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, UK. Produced by: Naturebureau, Newbury, UK. Printed by: Information Press, Oxford, UK. Printed on: 115gsm Allegro Demi-matt produced from sustainable sources. © 2007 IUCN–The World Conservation Union / Convention on Migratory Species (CMS). This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission from the copyright holder, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. CMS would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses this publication as a source. No use of this publication may be made for resale or for any other commercial purpose whatsoever without prior permission in writing from the United Nations Environment Programme. DISCLAIMER The contents of this volume do not necessarily reflect the views of IUCN or contributory organizations. The designations employed and the presentations do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNEP or contributory organizations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area in its authority, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Copies of this publication are available from the UNEP/CMS Secretariat Public Information Hermann-Ehlers-Str. 10 53113 Bonn, Germany T. +49 228 815-2401/02 F. +49 228 815-2449 www.cms.int Table of Contents Acknowledgements 1 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................................................1 1.1 Background ................................................................................................................................................1 1.2 Objectives ..................................................................................................................................................1 2 Methods, definitions and datasets .........................................................................................................................2 2.1 Methodology .............................................................................................................................................2 2.2 Definition of migratory species ...................................................................................................................2 2.3 Taxonomy and nomenclature .....................................................................................................................3 2.4 Ecology and life history ...............................................................................................................................3 2.5 Data sources ...............................................................................................................................................4 2.6 Database structure .....................................................................................................................................4 3 Results ..................................................................................................................................................................5 3.1 Global conservation status and threats........................................................................................................5 3.2 Migratory behaviour, distribution and regional status .................................................................................9 3.3 Legal and management status ..................................................................................................................17 4 Species that may potentially benefit from a CMS listing .......................................................................................32 4.1 Hexanchus griseus bluntnose sixgill shark .................................................................................................32 4.2 Squalus acanthias spiny dogfish or spurdog ..............................................................................................33 4.3 Squatina squatina angel shark ..................................................................................................................33 4.4 Carcharias taurus sandtiger, grey nurse, ragged tooth shark .....................................................................34 4.5 Alopias pelagicus, A. supercilious, A. vulpinus thresher sharks .................................................................34 4.6 Isurus oxyrinchus shortfin mako and I. paucus longfin mako ....................................................................35 4.7 Lamna nasus porbeagle shark ...................................................................................................................36 4.8 Galeorhinus galeus tope or soupfin shark .................................................................................................36 4.9 Genus Carcharhinus .................................................................................................................................37 4.10 Carcharhinus falciformis silky shark ..........................................................................................................37 4.11 Carcharhinus leucas bull shark ..................................................................................................................38 4.12 Carcharhinus longimanus oceanic whitetip shark ......................................................................................38 4.13 Carcharhinus obscurus dusky shark ..........................................................................................................39 4.14 Carcharhinus plumbeus sandbar shark .....................................................................................................39 4.15 Carcharhinus signatus night shark ............................................................................................................40 4.16 Prionace glauca blue shark .......................................................................................................................40 4.17 Isogomphodon oxyrhynchus daggernose shark ........................................................................................41 4.18 Family Sphyrnidae, hammerhead sharks ...................................................................................................41 4.19 Family Pristidae, sawfishes ........................................................................................................................42 4.20 Myliobatoids, eagle rays ...........................................................................................................................42 4.21 Genus Rhinoptera, cownose rays ..............................................................................................................43 4.22 Manta birostris manta ray ........................................................................................................................44 4.23 Genus Mobula, devil rays .........................................................................................................................44 5 Bibliography ........................................................................................................................................................46 Annex 1. Convention on Migratory Species Recommendation 8.16 “Migratory Sharks” ..........................................58 Annex 2. The Definition of “Favourable Conservation Status” according to CMS .....................................................59 Annex 3. Structure of the prototype CMS Migratory Shark Database .......................................................................60 Annex 4. Summary classification of the living chondrichthyan fishes .........................................................................62 Annex 5. Range States of chondrichthyan species identified as priorities for CMS .....................................................64 IUCN/SSG CMS • Review of Migratory Chondrichthyan Fishes Acknowledgements This IUCN Species Survival Commission Shark Specialist Group (SSG) review was prepared by Sarah Fowler (NatureBureau and SSG co-chair), with considerable assistance from Sarah Valenti. It drew