International Scholarly Research Network ISRN Zoology Volume 2012, Article ID 860768, 24 pages doi:10.5402/2012/860768 Research Article Contribution to the Taxonomy and Distribution of Six Shark Species (Chondrichthyes, Elasmobranchii) from the Gulf of Thailand Simon Weigmann Biocenter Grindel and Zoological Museum, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany Correspondence should be addressed to Simon Weigmann, [email protected] Received 22 November 2011; Accepted 2 January 2012 Academic Editors: D. Park, J. D. Reimer, D. Russo, and P. Scaps Copyright © 2012 Simon Weigmann. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. A collection of nine shark specimens from six different species, obtained in 1993 from the Gulf of Thailand, was examined in this study. The sharks were determined, morphometrically and meristically analyzed, photographically documented, and compared with relevant literature. Additionally, further available material from the fish collections of the Zoological Museum Hamburg, the Senckenberg Naturmuseum Frankfurt, and the Museum´ national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, was examined by way of comparison. Contrary to most references, prominent dorsal ridges were detected in several specimens of Chiloscyllium griseum. Additionally, one of the specimens had a very unusual big ocellar blotch on the head which had not been reported for this genus before. For Paragaleus randalli, it could be proven that the teeth morphologically deviate strongly from those shown in literature due to having much larger cusps. Furthermore, the known distribution area of Paragaleus randalli could be extended considerably eastwards by about 2000 km. For a seventh species, Paragaleus tengi,differences between the actual morphology of upper lateral teeth and those drawn in the original description were detected. 1. Introduction species have been described in recent years [1, 10–13], the knowledge on many known species is still scarce due to the About 500 of the more than 1200 globally known species often very old and sketchy original descriptions like those of Chondrichthyes are sharks, including the world’s biggest by Muller¨ and Henle [14]. Another reason for the gaps fish species [1]. The highest diversity of Chondrichthyes in knowledge is the often insufficient declaration of elas- can be found in the East Indian Ocean [2–4], where the mobranch catches by fishermen, who classify most caught catches of elasmobranch fishes have increased significantly specimens simply as “diverse Elasmobranchii” or “small over the last decades from 18 600 t in 1950 to 77 700 t in 1997 sharks” instead of making a more detailed determination [5]. Today Indonesia has the world’s largest chondrichthyan [5, 15]. fishery [3]. Extensive targeted fishery and bycatch belong In order to make a contribution to the filling of these to the most important reasons for the recent decline of the knowledge gaps, a collection of nine shark specimens from populations of many elasmobranch species [6, 7]. Sharks the Gulf of Thailand and many comparative specimens are especially susceptible to population declines because the were examined in this study. Thailand was the fifth most lifestyle of many species is characterized by late attainment of important chondrichthyan fishing nation in the East Indian sexual maturity, slow growth, and low reproductive output Ocean in 1997 with 5600 t officially landed [5]. The examined [2, 8, 9]. Due to the numerous population declines, it is very Thai specimens belong to the Carcharhinidae species Car- important to develop management and protection programs charhinus dussumieri, the two Hemigaleidae species Hemi- for many elasmobranch species, which require well-founded galeus microstoma and Paragaleus randalli, the Sphyrnidae knowledge about the taxonomy, distribution, and abundance species Sphyrna lewini and the two Hemiscyllidae species of the species. However, although many new elasmobranch Chiloscyllium griseum and C. punctatum. 2 ISRN Zoology The Carcharhinidae is by far the most speciose shark 2.1. Carcharhinus dussumieri. ZMH 2137: male postembryo, family in Thai and adjacent waters with 30 species [16]. 264 mm total length (TL) and female postembryo, 335 mm Its members are characterized by two nonspiny dorsal fins, TL, China: Futschau, Fokien, 8 Sep. 1911, Cons. G. Siemssen. nasoral grooves and barbles, an under, or beyond-the-eyes ZMH 2149: male postembryo, 247 mm TL, male postem- located mouth and nictitating eyelids [17]aswellasa bryo, 262 mm TL and female postembryo 246 mm TL, precaudal pit and an intestinal valve of scroll type [18]. The China: Futschau, Fokien, 9 Sep. 1904, Cons. G. Siemssen. second most speciose family in this region is the family Tri- ZMH 25479: female postembryo, 260 mm TL, Indonesia: akidae with only seven species [16]. The family Hemigaleidae Sumatra. is represented in the region by four species [16]. It is morphologically similar to the family Carcharhinidae, but all 2.2. Carcharhinus sealei. ZMH 103117 (ISH 145-1965): of its members have an intestinal valve of spiral type [18]. female, 855 mm TL (with two female embryos of 365 and The Sphyrnidae, represented by four species in Thai and 373 mm TL) and female, 875 mm TL, off Pakistan: 22◦10N, adjacent waters [16], have a cephalofoil, a uniquely formed 68◦34E, RV “Meteor” station 230a/65, Indian Ocean Exped., head with lateral, bladelike expansions [18]. The Hemis- 8 Mar. 1965, 45–56 m deep, Kutter Trawl, uncataloged mate- cyllidae with four species in the region [16] are—like all rial: juvenile male, 530 mm TL, Sokotra Islands: 12◦39N, Orectolobiformes—characterized by the presence of an anal 53◦27E–12◦36N, 53◦202E, RV “Vityaz” cruise 17 station fin, two equal-sized, nonspiny dorsal fins, barbles, nasoral 2567, 28 Oct. 1988, 41–43 m deep, BOT 30 m. Adult grooves, and a short mouth that ends in front of the eyes [19]. male, 850 mm TL, Sokotra Islands: 12◦04.8N, 53◦12.6E– The species of Hemiscyllidae in particular have a slender, 12◦09.2N, 53◦10.1E, RV “Vityaz” cruise 17 station 2829, 15 conical body, large spiracles, and short barbles [17]. Jan. 1989, 36–40 m deep, 29 m-Shrimp Trawl. This study provides extensive morphometrical analyses for six shark species for most of which such detailed morpho- 2.3. Hemigaleus microstoma. ZMH 120307 (ISH 57-1982): metrics have not been published before. Additionally, tooth juvenile male, 540 mm TL, Indonesia: Moyo Island: 8◦18S, row counts are given for all specimens from the Thailand 117◦35E, RV “Jurong”,Jun. 1981, 150 m deep, Bottom Trawl, collection as well as morphological descriptions and compar- T. Gloerfelt-Tarp. isons with relevant literature. A morphologically correct image of upper anterolateral teeth of Paragaleus randalli is shown here for the first time. 2.4. Paragaleus randalli. Paratype ZMH 103119 (ISH 150- 1965): adolescent male, 590 mm TL, Arabian Sea: 22◦01- Furthermore, the known distribution area of Paragaleus ◦ randalli is extended. 02 N, 68 10-15 E, RV “Meteor” station 229a/65, Indian Ocean Exped., 7 Mar. 1965, 88–94 m deep. Paratype SMF 28109: adult male, 685 mm TL, Arabian Gulf: Kuwait: ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ 2. Material and Methods 28 42.88 N, 48 26.30 E–28 44.07 N, 48 27.64 E, 24 Apr. 1995. The examined Thai collection of nine sharks from six different species was collected by Matthias Stehmann during 2.5. Sphyrna lewini. ZMH 5326: female postembryo 385 mm a Thailand expedition that took place from the 5th to TL, female postembryo 410 mm TL, and female postembryo the 11th December 1993 after the fourth Indo-Pacific Fish 415 mm TL, Thailand: Kokra, RV “Meteor”, 14 May 1966, Conference (IPFC). The specimens were acquired from local 25 m deep, Trawl. ZMH 10212: juvenile male, 473 mm TL, fishermen in the two Thai harbors shown in the map China: Prov. Fokien, 18 Dec. 1905, Cons. G. Siemssen. ZMH in Figure 1: Cha-Am (12◦49N, 100◦E) and Pak Phanang 22417: head only, width of cephalofoil: 223 mm, Gold Coast: (8◦20N, 100◦15E). According to the fishermen, the sharks Lahou, 14 Mar. 1929. ZMH 25482: female postembryo, were caught nearby those harbors. All specimens were fixed 329 mm TL and female postembryo, 356 mm TL, Tonga, in 4% formaldehyde solution soon after the catch and Palze. ZMH 101459 (ISH 139-1962): juvenile female, preserved in 70% ethanol afterwards. 510 mm TL, Guinea: 8◦50–9◦47N, 13◦38–14◦05W, fishing The map was generated using ArcMap 9.3.1 by ESRI boat “Hilda”, Oct./Nov. 1962, 13–40 m deep, Bottom Trawl. [20] and based on the Global Relief Model ETOPO 1 of ZMH 101553 (ISH 201-1963): female embryo 188 mm TL, the National Geophysical Data Center (NOAA) [21]. The female embryo 198 mm TL, female embryo 203 mm TL, male country borders were visualized by means of the shapefiles embryo 197 mm TL, male embryo 204 mm TL, male embryo supplied by ESRI for the ArcExplorer-Java Edition for 205 mm TL, and male embryo 206 mm TL, Guinea: Conakry: Education 2.3.2 (AEJEE) [22]. Land below the sea level was 09◦45N, 14◦05W, fishing boat “Hilda”, 4 Feb. 1963, 10– colorized in the color of the lowest land elevation class using 13 m deep, Kutter Trawl. ZMH 104704 (ISH 1019-1966): Adobe Photoshop CS 4 [23]. juvenile male, 563 mm TL, South Brasil: 32◦45S, 51◦02W, Additionally to the nine specimens from the Thai RV “Walter Herwig” station 218/66, 10 Jun. 1966, 75 m deep, collection, the following material from the fish collections of 140-Ground Trawl. ZMH 113340 (ISH 266–1975): juve- the Zoological Museum Hamburg (ZMH), the Senckenberg nile male, 1060 mm TL, Pacific: North Mexico: 24◦02N, Naturmuseum Frankfurt (SMF) and the Museum´ national 111◦04W, RV “Weser” station 187, 6 Jan.