Abstract
ABSTRACT A fundamental challenge for both sustainable fisheries and biodiversity protection in the Neotropics is the accurate determination of species identity. The biodiversity of the coastal sharks of Guyana is poorly understood, but these species are subject to both artisanal fishing as well as harvesting by industrialized offshore fleets. To determine what species of sharks are frequently caught and consumed along the coastline of Guyana, we used DNA barcoding to identify market specimens. We sequenced the mitochondrial co1 gene for 132 samples collected from six markets, and compared our sequences to those available in the Barcode of Life Database (BOLD) and GenBank. Nearly 30% of the total sample diversity was represented by two species of Hammerhead Sharks (Sphyrna mokarran and S. lewini), both listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Other significant portions of the samples included Sharpnose Sharks (23% - Rhizoprionodon spp.), considered Vulnerable in Brazilian waters due to unregulated gillnet fisheries, and the Smalltail Shark (17% - Carcharhinus porosus). We found that barcoding provides efficient and accurate identification of market specimens in Guyana, making this study the first in over thirty years to address Guyana’s coastal shark biodiversity.
Highlights
Many sharks, relative to teleost fishes, have delayed reproductive maturity and relatively few, if precocial, young
The objectives of this study were to: (1) use DNA barcoding to determine the diversity of species landed, and (2) determine what proportion of collected samples are species-at-risk based on the classification of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
All thirteen species of sharks found in Guyanese fish markets were carcharhiniforms, belonging to the families Sphyrnidae (Hammerhead Sharks) and Carcharhinidae (Requiem Sharks) (Tab. 2; S1 - Available only as online supplementary file accessed with the online version of the article at http://www. scielo.br/ni)
Summary
Relative to teleost fishes, have delayed reproductive maturity and relatively few, if precocial, young These reproductive tendencies make shark populations susceptible to overfishing, as large, mature adults are typically the individuals targeted by fisheries (Dulvy, Forrest, 2010). Devastating to sharks is the large demand in Asian markets for shark fins, which are sometimes removed from live animals before the carcass is landed in markets. These fins, once frozen, dried, and distributed to consumers are extremely difficult to identify to species - making the effect of the shark-finning industry difficult to track and monitor (Clarke et al, 2007).
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