Coprolites from shallow marine deposits of the Nanjemoy Formation,Lower Eocene of Virginia,USA

The Eocene Nanjemoy Formation crops out on the Maryland and Virginia Coastal Plain, along the eastern coast of the United States. This formation is composed of sands, silts and clays and is divided into the Potapaco and Woodstock members. Remains of fishes, reptiles, birds, mammals, molluscs, fruits and seeds are common in the Potapaco Member, in addition to vertebrate coprolites. Here, we present an analysis of more than 2000 coprolites from the Fisher/Sullivan Site in Virginia. The chemical composition (phosphatic) and the type of inclusions (fish bones) indicate that only scats of carnivorous animals were preserved. The analysed specimens were grouped into six morphotypes: (1) the cylindrical morphotype is a cylinder with rounded ends; (2) the segmented morphotype is a cylinder segmented with rounded ends, and occasionally one end is concave; (3) the oval morphotype represents a bean‐shaped coprolite; (4) the scroll morphotype is cylindrical to conical in lateral view and has coils seen only at the ends; (5) the folded morphotype is a spiral that is concentrically folded; and (6) the sinuous morphotype is serpentine, with rounded ends. Coprophagy‐related scrape traces occur in different morphotypes and represent both invertebrate burrows and bite traces made by fishes. The mineralogical and chemical analyses indicate an early precipitation of phosphate and pyrite minerals, probably induced by the microbial community. All coprolites at the Fisher/Sullivan Site were produced by fishes: carcharhiniform sharks for the scroll morphotype and lamniform sharks, probably the genus Carcharias, for the folded morphotype; the oval, cylindrical and segmented morphotypes were likely produced by actinopterygian fishes.     

Coprolite morphotypes from the Upper Cretaceous of Sweden: novel views on an ancient ecosystem and implications for coprolite taphonomy

Eriksson, M.E., Lindgren, J., Chin, K. & Månsby, U. 2011: Coprolite morphotypes from the Upper Cretaceous of Sweden: novel views on an ancient ecosystem and implications for coprolite taphonomy. Lethaia, Vol. 44, pp. 455–468. Coprolites (fossilized faeces) are common, yet previously unreported, elements in the Campanian (Upper Cretaceous) shallow‐marine strata of Åsen, southern Sweden. They are associated with a diverse vertebrate fauna and comprise at least seven different morphotypes that suggest a variety of source animals. Their faecal origin is corroborated by several lines of evidence, including chemical composition (primarily calcium phosphate), external morphology and nature of the inclusions. Preservation in a fossil coquina, interpreted as a taphocoenosis, suggests early lithification promoted by rapid entombment. This would have prevented disintegration of the faecal matter and facilitated transportation and introduction to the host sediment. The coprofabrics can generally be correlated to specific gross morphologies, supporting a morphology‐determined coprolite classification. Moreover, having been deposited under presumably comparable taphonomic conditions, variations in coprofabrics infer differences in diet and/or digestive efficiency of the host animal. Size and morphology of the coprolites imply that most, if not all, were produced by vertebrates and the largest specimens infer a host animal of considerable size. Two spiralled coprolite morphotypes yield bone fragments and scales of bony fish, suggesting that the producers were piscivorous sharks. Other coprolites contain inclusions interpreted as the remains of shelled invertebrates, thus indicating that they may have derived from durophagous predators and/or scavengers. The occurrence of small scrapes, tracks and traces on several specimens suggest manipulation of the faeces by other (presumably coprophagous) organisms after deposition. The collective data from the Åsen coprolites provide new insights into a shallow‐water Late Cretaceous marine ecosystem hitherto known solely from body fossils. □ Coprolites, vertebrates, coprofabrics, taphonomy, trophic levels, Upper Cretaceous, Sweden.     

Multi‐proxy analyses of Late Cretaceous coprolites from Germany

A total of 462 coprolites from three localities exposing Upper Cretaceous deposits in the Münster Basin, northwestern Germany, have been subjected to an array of analytical techniques, with the aim of elucidating ancient trophic structures and predator–prey interactions. The phosphatic composition, frequent bone inclusions, size and morphology collectively suggest that most, if not all, coprolites were produced by carnivorous (predatory or scavenging) vertebrates. The bone inclusions further indicate that the coprolite producers preyed principally upon fish. Putative host animals include bony fish, sharks and marine reptiles – all of which have been previously recorded from the Münster Basin. The presence of borings and other traces on several coprolites implies handling by coprophagous organisms. Remains of epibionts are also common, most of which have been identified as the encrusting bivalve Atreta. Palynological analyses of both the coprolites and host rocks reveal a sparse assemblage dominated by typical Late Cretaceous dinoflagellates, and with sub‐ordinate fern spores, conifer pollen grains and angiosperm pollen grains. The dinoflagellate key taxon Exochosphaeridium cenomaniense corroborates a Cenomanian age for the Plenus Marl, from which most studied coprolites derive. The findings of this study highlight the potential of a multi‐proxy approach when it comes to unravelling the origin, composition and importance of coprolites in palaeoecosystem analyses.     

Fish and tetrapod communities across a marine to brackish salinity gradient in the Pennsylvanian (early Moscovian) Minto Formation of New Brunswick,Canada, and their palaeoecological and palaeogeographical implications

Euryhaline adaptations in Pennsylvanian vertebrates allowed them to inhabit the marine to freshwater spectrum. This is illustrated by new assemblages of fish and tetrapods from the early Moscovian Minto Formation of New Brunswick, Canada. Fish include chondrichthyans (xenacanthids and the enigmatic Ageleodus), acanthodians (gyracanthids and acanthodiforms), sarcopterygians (rhizodontids, megalichthyids and dipnoans), and actinopterygians (eurynotiforms). Tetrapods include small‐ to medium‐sized, and largely aquatic, stem tetrapods (colosteids) and anthracosaurs (embolomeres). A key finding is that the parautochthonous fossil assemblages are preserved across a salinity gradient, with diversity (measured by the Simpson Index) declining from open marine environments, through brackish embayments, and reaching a nadir in tidal estuaries. Chondrichthyans dominate the entire salinity spectrum (65% of fossils), a distribution that demonstrates a euryhaline mode of life, and one large predatory chondrichthyan, Orthacanthus, may have practised filial cannibalism in coastal nurseries because its heteropolar coprolites contain juvenile xenacanthid teeth. In contrast, other fish communities were more common in open marine settings while tetrapods were more common in coastal brackish waters. While all these faunas were also likely to have been euryhaline, their osmoregulation was, perhaps, less versatile. The demonstration of widespread euryhalinity among fish and aquatic tetrapods explains why Pennsylvanian faunas generally show a cosmopolitan biogeography because taxa were able to disperse via seaways. It also resolves the paradox of enriched strontium isotopic signatures observed in these faunas because organisms would have been, at times, exposed to continental water bodies as well. Therefore, our new findings contribute to the long‐running debate about the ecology of Pennsylvanian fishes and tetrapods.     

A fresh look at ancient dungs: the Brazilian Triassic coprolites revisited

Terrestrial tetrapod coprolites are abundant in the Middle to Late Triassic of southern Brazil, but only few specimens have been described in just a couple of papers. Here we revisit the already‐known specimens and describe new materials, including their size, shape, external modifications, matrix composition and rare inclusions. Regarding size and shape, the measurements of 152 specimens show that the Triassic coprolites of Brazil follow a normal distribution, in which length and width are positively correlated variables, so that they are not useful for taxonomic purposes. Notwithstanding, two ichnotaxa, Santamariacopros elongatus and Rhynchocopros soutoi, were previously described from the Middle/Upper Triassic Santa Maria Formation, based mainly on morphological (length/width ratio) and preservational features, but we discuss here the validity of such taxa. Once the Santa Maria Formation encompasses at least three tetrapod Assemblage Zones (AZ), Dinodontosaurus AZ, Santacruzodon AZ and Hyperodapedon AZ (from the oldest to the youngest, respectively), it is difficult to attribute these coprolites to any specific animal producers. In addition, the rarity of inclusions and the carbonated composition of the coprolites, related to early diagenetic processes, complicate this attribution too. Nevertheless, some rare inclusions as a hair‐like structure and a parasite egg were found in this study. Although the coprotaxonomy fails to represent the Santa Maria Formation coprolites and the recognition of their producers is a problematic task, these fossil dungs are important elements in the knowledge of the Middle to Late Triassic environments of southern Brazil.     

Opportunistic exploitation of dinosaur dung: fossil snails in coprolites from the Upper Cretaceous Two Medicine Formation of Montana

Multiple associations of fossil snails with dinosaur coprolites demonstrate that snails and dinosaurs not only shared ancient habitats but were trophically linked via dinosaur dung. Over 130 fossil snails representing at least seven different taxa have been found on or within herbivorous dinosaur coprolites from the Upper Cretaceous Two Medicine Formation of Montana. The terrestrial snail Megomphix is the most common taxon, but three other terrestrial taxa (Prograngerella, Hendersonia and Polygyrella) and three aquatic snails (Lioplacodes, ?Viviparus and a physid) also occur in coprolites. At least 46% of the shells in the faeces are whole or nearly so, indicating that most (if not all) of the snails were not ingested by dinosaurs, but were post‐depositional visitors to the dung pats. The sizeable, moist and microbially enriched dinosaur faeces would have provided both food and roosting sites for the ancient snails, and the large number of snail–coprolite associations reflect recurring, opportunistic exploitation of dung. The terrestrial taxa in the coprolites suggest that this Late Cretaceous locality included sufficiently moist detrital or vegetative cover for snails when dinosaur dung was not present. The aquatic snails probably entered the faeces during flood events. Dinosaur dung would have provided an abundant but patchy influx of resources that was probably seasonally available in the ancient environment.     

Timing of deep‐sea adaptation in dogfish sharks: insights from a supertree of extinct and extant taxa

Klug, S. & Kriwet, J. (2010). Timing of deep‐sea adaptation in dogfish sharks: insights from a supertree of extinct and extant taxa. —Zoologica Scripta, 39, 331–342. Dogfish sharks (Squaliformes) constitute a monophyletic group of predominantly deep‐water neoselachians, but the reasons and timing of their adaptation to this hostile environment remain ambiguous. Late Cretaceous dogfish sharks, which generally would be associated with deep‐water occur predominantly in shallow water environments. Did the end‐Cretaceous mass extinction event that eliminated large numbers of both terrestrial and aquatic taxa and clades including sharks trigger the evolutionary adaptation of present deep‐water dogfish sharks? Here, we construct, date, and analyse a genus‐level phylogeny of extinct and living dogfish sharks to bring a new perspective to this question. For this, eleven partial source trees of dogfish shark interrelationships were merged to create a comprehensive phylogenetic hypothesis. The resulting supertree is the most inclusive estimate of squaliform interrelationships that has been proposed to date containing 23 fossil and extant members of all major groups. ?Eoetmopterus represents the oldest dalatoid. ?Microetmopterus, ?Paraphorosoides, ?Proetmopterus and ?Squaliogaleus are stem‐group dalatoids in which bioluminescence most likely was not developed. According to our analyses, bioluminescence in dogfish sharks was already developed in the early Late Cretaceous indicating that these sharks adapted to deep‐water conditions most likely at about 100 Mya. The advantage of this reconstruction is that the fossil record is used directly for age node estimates rather than employing molecular clock approaches.     

Effect of weight and frontal area of external telemetry packages on the kinematics,activity levels and swimming performance of small‐bodied sharks

This study sought to observe the effects of submerged weight and frontal cross‐sectional area of external telemetry packages on the kinematics, activity levels and swimming performance of small‐bodied juvenile sharks, using lemon sharks Negaprion brevirostris (60–80 cm total length, L_T) as a model species. Juveniles were observed free‐swimming in a mesocosm untagged and with small and large external accelerometer packages that increased frontal cross‐sectional area of the animals and their submerged weight. Despite adhering to widely used standards for tag mass, the presence of an external telemetry package altered swimming kinematics, activity levels and swimming performance of juvenile N. brevirostris relative to untagged individuals, suggesting that tag mass is not a suitable standalone metric of device suitability. Changes in swimming performance could not be detected from tail‐beat frequency, which suggests that tail‐beat frequency is an unsuitable standalone metric of swimming performance for small N. brevirostris. Lastly, sharks experienced treatment‐specific changes in activity level and swimming kinematics from morning to afternoon observation. Therefore, the presence of external telemetry packages altered the kinematics, activity levels and swimming performance of small young‐of‐the‐year N. brevirostris and these data may therefore be relevant to other similar‐sized juveniles of other shark species.     

Cookie‐cutter shark Isistius spp. predation upon different tuna species from the south‐western Atlantic Ocean

The predation of cookie‐cutter sharks Isistius spp. upon the early life stages of yellowfin tuna Thunnus albacares, skipjack tuna Katsuwonus pelamis and little tunny Euthynnus alletteratus are described. New evidence suggesting a connection between commercial fishing and predation by Isistius sp. is presented, with these sharks biting tunas hooked in surface waters during daylight. The healing patterns of the wounds made by the sharks are described in detail and, although such damage is known to negatively influence market price elsewhere, it is not the case on the south‐east Brazilian coast.     

Shark bite wounds of the valvular intestine: The cause of an acute mortality syndrome of captive blacktip reef sharks,Carcharhinus melanopterus

During 1987–1990 nine cases of mortality in captive blacktip reef sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus) were attributed to bite wounds to the valvular intestine. Necropsies revealed lacerations, amputation of the scroll valve folds, or complete severance of the valvular intestine. Wounding resulting from attack by tankmates occurred during episodes of intestinal eversion, an apparently regular event of unclear physiological function in sharks with a scroll valve intestine. This paper adds intestinal biting as a putative cause of mortality in captive shark species having a scroll valve intestine.     

Big catch,little sharks: Insight into Peruvian small‐scale longline fisheries

Shark take, driven by vast demand for meat and fins, is increasing. We set out to gain insights into the impact of small‐scale longline fisheries in Peru. Onboard observers were used to document catch from 145 longline fishing trips (1668 fishing days) originating from Ilo, southern Peru. Fishing effort is divided into two seasons: targeting dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus; December to February) and sharks (March to November). A total of 16,610 sharks were observed caught, with 11,166 identified to species level. Of these, 70.6% were blue sharks (Prionace glauca), 28.4% short‐fin mako sharks (Isurus oxyrinchus), and 1% were other species (including thresher (Alopias vulpinus), hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena), porbeagle (Lamnus nasus), and other Carcharhinidae species (Carcharhinus brachyurus, Carcharhinus falciformis, Galeorhinus galeus). Mean ± SD catch per unit effort of 33.6 ± 10.9 sharks per 1000 hooks was calculated for the shark season and 1.9 ± 3.1 sharks per 1000 hooks were caught in the dolphinfish season. An average of 83.7% of sharks caught (74.7% blue sharks; 93.3% mako sharks) were deemed sexually immature and under the legal minimum landing size, which for species exhibiting k‐selected life history traits can result in susceptibility to over exploitation. As these growing fisheries operate along the entire Peruvian coast and may catch millions of sharks per annum, we conclude that their continued expansion, along with ineffective legislative approaches resulting in removal of immature individuals, has the potential to threaten the sustainability of the fishery, its target species, and ecosystem. There is a need for additional monitoring and research to inform novel management strategies for sharks while maintaining fisher livelihoods.     

Locomotion is not a privilege after birth: Ultrasound images of viviparous shark embryos swimming from one uterus to the other

Underwater ultrasound, a new tool for observing the internal body parts of aquatic animals by scuba divers, allowed us long‐term and frequent observations of the embryos of captive aquatic vertebrates. New ultrasound data of captive tawny nurse sharks (Nebrius ferrugineus) revealed that their embryos frequently migrate between the right and left uteri during gestation. This report is the first reliable evidence of active embryonic locomotion in live‐bearing vertebrates and is contradictory to the concept of “sedentary embryo” which has mainly arisen from studies of mammals. The tawny nurse shark is unique among orectolobiform sharks, in which the embryo develops by feeding on sibling eggs in utero. Thus, we hypothesized that swimming aids in an efficient search and capture of these eggs in the uterine environment.     

Advances in the Study of Feeding Behaviors, Mechanisms, and Mechanics of Sharks

Sharks as a group have a long history as highly successful predatory fishes. Although, the number of recent studies on their diet, feeding behavior, feeding mechanism, and mechanics have increased, many areas still require additional investigation. Dietary studies of sharks are generally more abundant than those on feeding activity patterns, and most of the studies are confined to relatively few species, many being carcharhiniform sharks. These studies reveal that sharks are generally asynchronous opportunistic feeders on the most abundant prey item, which are primarily other fishes. Studies of natural feeding behavior are few and many observations of feeding behavior are based on anecdotal reports. To capture their prey sharks either ram, suction, bite, filter, or use a combination of these behaviors. Foraging may be solitary or aggregate, and while cooperative foraging has been hypothesized it has not been conclusively demonstrated. Studies on the anatomy of the feeding mechanism are abundant and thorough, and far exceed the number of functional studies. Many of these studies have investigated the functional role of morphological features such as the protrusible upper jaw, but only recently have we begun to interpret the mechanics of the feeding apparatus and how it affects feeding behavior. Teeth are represented in the fossil record and are readily available in extant sharks. Therefore much is known about their morphology but again functional studies are primarily theoretical and await experimental analysis. Recent mechanistic approaches to the study of prey capture have revealed that kinematic and motor patterns are conserved in many species and that the ability to modulate feeding behavior varies greatly among taxa. In addition, the relationship of jaw suspension to feeding behavior is not as clear as was once believed, and contrary to previous interpretations upper jaw protrusibility appears to be related to the morphology of the upper jaw-chondrocranial articulation rather than the type of jaw suspension. Finally, we propose a set of specific hypotheses including: (1) The functional specialization for suction feeding hypothesis that morphological and functional specialization for suction feeding has repeatedly arisen in numerous elasmobranch lineages, (2) The aquatic suction feeding functional convergence hypothesis that similar hydrodynamic constraints in bony fishes and sharks result in convergent morphological and functional specializations for suction feeding in both groups, (3) The feeding modulation hypothesis that suction capture events in sharks are more stereotyped and therefore less modulated compared to ram and bite capture events, and (4) The independence of jaw suspension and feeding behavior hypothesis whereby the traditional categorization of jaw suspension types in sharks is not a good predictor of jaw mobility and prey capture behavior. Together with a set of questions these hypotheses help to guide future research on the feeding biology of sharks.     

Ultrastructure of spermiogenesis and synthesis of enigmatic cytoplasmic inclusions in the spirally shaped spermatozoon of the polychaete Spio setosa (Annelida: Spionidae)

The sperm of Spio setosa (Polychaeta, Spionidae) are known to be very unusual in form; here, spermiogenesis and the structure of the spermatozoon in this species are described by transmission electron microscopy. While spermiogenesis is similar to that described for many other polychaetes, two notable exceptions to this process include the synthesis of abundant ring‐shaped and tubular, membrane‐bounded cytoplasmic inclusions in the midpiece, and the differentiation of a spirally shaped sperm head. Spermatids develop as free‐floating tetrads in the male's coelom. A microtubular manchette does not develop during chromatin condensation and nuclear elongation, and the spiral acrosome forms as a single Golgi‐derived vesicle that migrates anteriorly to become housed in a deep anterior nuclear fossa. Early in spermiogenesis, numerous Golgi‐derived, membrane‐bounded cytoplasmic inclusions appear in the cytoplasm; these ultimately occupy the sperm midpiece only. The mature spermatozoon in the male has a 15‐μm‐long head consisting of a nucleus coiled like a spring and a spiral acrosome with differentiated substructure, the posterior two thirds of which sits in an anterior nuclear fossa. The midpiece is wider than the rest of the spermatozoon and contains 9–10 spherical mitochondria surrounding the two centrioles, as well as numerous membrane‐bounded conoid and tubular cytoplasmic inclusions. The axoneme has a 9 + 2 arrangement of microtubules. By contrast, stored sperm in the female's seminal receptacles have lost the midpiece inclusions but contain an abundance of glycogen. The function of the midpiece inclusions remains unresolved, and the significance of their absence in stored sperm within the seminal receptacle and the appearance of midpiece glycogen stores remains unclear and requires additional investigation.     

Mammalian Carnivore Coprolites from the Sopas Formation (Upper Pleistocene,Lujanian Stage), Uruguay

Continental tetrapod coprolites from Uruguay are described for the first time. These remains come from the Piedra Pintada locality (Artigas Department), northern Uruguay, where the Sopas Formation crops out (Upper Pleistocene, Lujanian Stage). It was possible to identify several attributes indicative of a coprolitic origin, such as anisopolar shape, extrusion marks, pointed ends, sutures, gas bubbles, and inclusions. These specimens are assigned to carnivorous mammals, probably large felids, based on morphological attributes and inclusions of rodent bones and teeth.     

An Early Devonian arthropod fauna from the Windyfield cherts, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

New terrestrial and freshwater arthropods are described from the Windyfield cherts, a suite of silicified sinters deposited 700m north‐east of the Rhynie cherts and part of the same Early Devonian hot‐spring complex. The diverse assemblage consists of Heterocrania rhyniensis (Hirst and Maulik, 1926a), here recognized as a euthycarcinoid; scutigeromorph centipede material assigned to Crussolum sp.; the crustacean Lepidocaris; trigonotarbid arachnids; a new arthropod of myriapod affinities named Leverhulmia mariae gen. et sp. nov.; and the distinctively ornamented arthropod cuticle of Rhynimonstrum dunlopi gen. et sp. nov. The Leverhulmia animal preserves gut content identifying it as an early terrestrial detritivore. Abundant coprolites of similar composition and morphology to the gut contents of the euthycarcinoid crowd the matrix. Chert texture, faunal associations, and study of modern analogues strongly suggest that the terrestrial arthropods were ubiquitous Early Devonian forms with no particular special adaptation to localized conditions around the terrestrial hot‐spring vents. The aquatic arthropods represent biota from ephemeral cool‐water pools in the vicinity of the hot‐spring vents.     

Microbiota and food residues including possible evidence of pre‐mammalian hair in Upper Permian coprolites from Russia

Coprolites (fossil faeces) provide direct evidence on the diet of its producer and unique insights on ancient food webs and ecosystems. We describe the contents of seven coprolites, collected from the Late Permian Vyazniki site of the European part of Russia. Two coprolite morphotypes (A, B) contain remains of putative bacteria, cyanobacteria, fungi, protists, invertebrate eggs, arthropod elements, undigested bone and tooth fragments, fish scales and elongated hair‐like structures with hollow interiors. Content, size and shape of the coprolites together with the associated body fossil record suggest that the most probable scat‐producers were carnivorous tetrapods; the bone‐rich morphotype A reveals short food retention time and a fast metabolism and is therefore assigned to therapsid carnivores whereas morphotype B with rarer and degraded bones are assigned to archosauromorphs or other non‐therapsid carnivores. The general coprolite matrix contains abundant micron‐sized spheres and thin‐walled vesicles which are interpreted as oxide and phosphatic pseudomorphs after microbial cells. From analyses of the undigested bones, we infer that they represent remains of actinopterygian fish, a therapsid and unrecognizable parts of amphibians and/or reptiles. Additionally, hair‐like structures found in one coprolite specimen occur as diagenetically altered (oxide‐replaced) structures and moulds (or partly as pseudomorphs) in a microcrystalline carbonate‐fluoride‐bearing calcium phosphate. This suggests that the latest Permian therapsids probably were equipped with hair‐like integument or hairsuit. If true, this is by far the oldest evidence of this mammalian character in the stem group of mammals.     

贵州兴义中三叠世拉丁期兴义动物群粪化石

粪化石是重要的遗迹化石,其内含物信息可为讨论生物行为、生理、相互关系、古环境等提供重要证据,进而对恢复和重建地质历史时期的生态系统等有重要意义。本文首次报道了贵州省兴义市泥麦古剖面中三叠世拉丁期兴义动物群化石层第35自然层的7种不同形态的粪化石。通过观察粪化石的内含物情况,发现其主要由贵州龙骨骼和鱼鳞组成,极少含有无脊椎动物碎片,表明粪化石来源于非壳食性的肉食性动物。依据粪化石的尺寸、缺少螺旋结构及相对较小的内含物碎片等信息,排除动物源是无脊椎动物、大型肉食性鱼类及大型鱼龙类的可能。结合兴义动物群下部化石组合海生爬行类实体化石的信息,进一步推断所研究粪化石的动物源应为非鱼龙的海生爬行动物,很可能是幻龙类、鸥龙类或海龙类。本文报道的7种形态的粪化石显示该下部化石层中的海生爬行动物之间至少存在1级营养等级的差异,这为恢复和重建中三叠世拉丁期海洋生态系统提供了重要依据。另外微生物的参与及泥质含量较高的厌氧环境使得该层的粪化石保存完好。     

Elasmobranch captures in shrimps trammel net fishery off the Gulf of Gabès (Southern Tunisia,Mediterranean Sea)

Small‐scale fisheries are generally promoted as a sustainable alternative to large‐scale industrial fisheries. However, there is recent growing evidence that small‐scale fisheries may be the largest threat to marine species of conservation concern. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential impact of the trammel net fishery on elasmobranchs in the Gulf of Gabès, Southern Tunisia. Data are based on 191 shrimp trammel net set (40 mm stretched mesh size) surveys conducted aboard commercial fishing vessels from May to July 2009. Five species of the small coastal elasmobranchs (Mustelus mustelus (Linnaeus, 1758), Mustelus punctulatus Risso 1827, Dasyatis pastinaca (Linnaeus, 1758), Dasyatis marmorata (Steindachner, 1892) and Torpedo torpedo (Linnaeus, 1758)) and two species from the large coastal shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo, 1827) and Carcharhinus brevipinna (Müller & Henle, 1839)) were recognized as by‐catch in this fishery. Elasmobranch by‐catch was dominated by sharks (90.3%), smoothhound sharks Mustelus sp. being by far the most important (88.9%) and reflecting their abundance in the area; 58% of the sets caught at least one specimen, with 4.8 ± 1.3 caught per set. Captures were composed essentially of neonate and juvenile sharks, while the batoids were dominated by mature individuals. This study shows that shrimp trammel nets represent a considerable source of mortality for early life stages of elasmobranch species in the Gulf of Gabès. Additionally, there was a high density of neonates and small juvenile M. mustelus in the Sfax zone, suggesting that these nearshore waters are a nursery grounds for smoothhound sharks. Further research should focus on the incidents of by‐catch and evaluate the potential solutions to allow trammel net fisheries to coexist alongside the elasmobranch species.