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Email the author (Login required) Structure and distribution of deep-water chondrichthyans in the Colombian Caribbean
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3856/vol43-issue4-fulltext-8
Abstract
Although currently there is no deep-sea fishery in the Colombian Caribbean Sea, however it is important to know the biology and ecology of the deep-sea ichthyofauna in order to identify the impact of the fishing on these communities. Therefore, to produce the baseline biological knowledge for their conservation, the objective of the present study was to determine the specific composition and describe some aspects of their population and ecology, as their abundance and distribution (spatial and bathymetric) of the deep-sea chondrichthyes at the Colombian Caribbean Sea. We carried out four samplings on board of a shrimp fishing vessel, trawling between 200 and 550 m of depth, during the months of August and December 2009 and March and May 2010. We found a total 331 specimens of thirteen species corresponding to nine families. The species that were captured with more than 15% of appearance frequency were Etmopterus perryi, Galeus cadenati, Anacanthobatis americanus and Gurgesiella atlantica. The higher relative abundances of species and individuals were found in the northern area of the Colombian Caribbean Sea (La Guajira Ecoregion).
