Sharksucker–shark interaction in two carcharhinid species

It is not known whether sharksuckers have positive or negative effects on their hosts, partly because this association is difficult to study in free‐ranging fish. I observed the behaviour of sharks with and without sharksuckers, to determine whether the hosts actively avoid sharksuckers. Wild blacktip sharks, Carcharhinus limbatus, took evasive actions when sharksuckers, Echeneis naucrates, attached to them, presumably to escape from skin irritation or hydrodynamical drag caused by the sharksuckers. Sharksuckers were most often attached to the belly or back of the shark, and sharks reacted most strongly to sharksuckers on their heads, sides, and dorsal fins. Observations of two captive bull sharks, Carcharhinus leucas, indicated that swimming speed increased when sharksuckers were attached. This paper supports the hypothesis that sharksucker attachment irritates sharks, and that the relationship between the two is best viewed as a subtle host–parasite interaction.     

南沙群岛珊瑚礁海域黑边鳍真鲨的年龄与生长

利用脊椎骨鉴定 2004年5～7月于南沙群岛珊瑚礁海域捕获的黑边鳍真鲨的年龄,进一步推算其Von Bertalanffy生长方程.结果表明：南沙群岛珊瑚礁海域黑边鳍真鲨优势年龄组为雌性5～7a,雄性4～7a;v-b生长方程相关参数为：K=0.127,L∞=188cm,t0＝-1.442a;其重量生长的拐点年龄为8.22a.     

中西太平洋围网不同作业方式兼捕镰状真鲨渔获率和死亡率分析

我国在中西太平洋(Western and Central Pacific Ocean,WCPO)金枪鱼围网渔业作业的方式主要分为捕捞自由鱼群(free swimming school,FSC)和人工集鱼群(fish aggregation devices,FAD),镰状真鲨(Carcharhinus falciformis)是这两种作业方式中主要的兼捕鲨鱼。本研究根据2018—2019年我国围网渔业渔船在中西太平洋区域(15°S—15°N,140°E—180°E)共20个作业航次记录的渔捞日志,对FSC和FAD两种状态的捕捞作业下兼捕到的镰状真鲨渔获率、生存状态等进行比较分析,结果表明:(1) FAD作业相比FSC作业兼捕到的镰状真鲨分布范围更广,两种作业方式兼捕到的镰状真鲨单位捕捞努力量渔获(catch per unit effort,CPUE)主要分布区域均集中在基里巴斯和瑙鲁专属经济区;(2) FAD和FSC兼捕镰状真鲨CPUE出现较高月份均在5—9月,FAD兼捕镰状真鲨CPUE显著高于FSC (P 0.05);(3) FSC和FAD兼捕镰状真鲨的死亡率范围分别为0.00%～92.86%和20.26%～76.71%,经检验两种作业方式下镰状真鲨死亡率间无显著性差异(P 0.05)。研究结果有助于了解不同作业方式对鲨鱼兼捕的影响,以实现提高目标鱼种渔获率、降低鲨鱼兼捕率的目的。     

Hg, Zn and Cu levels in the muscle and liver of tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) from the coast of Ishigaki Island, Japan: relationship between metal concentrations and body length

We analyzed Hg, Zn and Cu concentrations in the liver and muscle of tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) from the coast of Ishigaki Island, Japan. The Hg concentration in the muscle increased proportionally with body length in the tiger sharks, whereas that in the liver increased rapidly after maturity (defined by a length of over 2.7 m). Muscle Hg levels were higher than liver concentrations in immature sharks, with the inverse trend observed in mature sharks. Notably, the Zn and Cu concentrations in the liver tended to decrease with increasing body length. This rapid increase in hepatic Hg concentration concurrent with the onset of maturity in sharks may result from the continuous intake of Hg via food and the slower growth of mature sharks. The high concentrations of the essential metals Zn and Cu in immature sharks may be explained by the physiological demands related to rapid growth.