First record of the kitefin shark, Dalatias licha (Bonnaterre, 1788) from the Guatemalan Caribbean Sea

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Abstract

Deepwater fishing operations occur close to the shore of the Guatemalan Caribbean. In a study to characterize the deepwater species present in the fishing area, the incidental catch of a kitefin shark, Dalatias licha, was recorded at a depth of ~284-334 m, ca. 11 km northeast of El Quetzalito fishing village. The adult female with a total length of 1420 mm had morphological characteristics consistent with D. licha, which was confirmed by molecular methods. First record of D. licha in the western Caribbean region, a species cataloged at risk by the IUCN red list. With this record, the number of shark species known in the Guatemalan Caribbean increases to 25.

Sánchez-Jiménez, J., Ayala-Donado, J., Rosales Melgar, M., Areano-Barillas, E., Kasana, D., González-Jaramillo, M., & Pérez-Jiménez, J. (2024). First record of the kitefin shark, Dalatias licha (Bonnaterre, 1788) from the Guatemalan Caribbean Sea. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research, 52(2), 318-322. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3856/vol52-issue2-fulltext-3132

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