First Insight into the Biological Aspects of the Crocodile Shark Pseudocarcharias kamoharai in the Eastern Pacific Ocean

Abstract

The crocodile shark Pseudocarcharias kamoharai (Matsubara, 1936) is a species caught incidentally off the coast of Ecuador with no commercial importance in the country. As with many elasmobranch species, very little is known about its general biology. The aim of this study was to provide baseline information to enhance the knowledge on various aspects of the biology of this species. During the years 2003–2009, a total of 59 individuals of P. kamoharai were landed by commercial fishing in Ecuadorian waters. The total length (TL) ranged 50–113 cm. On average, the females were larger than males (91.8 ± 2.2 and 84.1 ± 4.1, respectively) and the number of females captured was higher (sex ratio = 1.9F:1M). Based on the morphology of the claspers, males were considered mature at 80 cm TL and at a clasper length of 6 cm, and 70% of the males caught were mature. The squid Ancistrocheirus lesueuri was the only prey observed in two shark stomachs with food from 59 shark stomachs analyzed. This study provides biological information of P. kamoharai in Ecuador and will help as a baseline to generate data and increase our knowledge of the biology of this shark species in the eastern Pacific Ocean.