Rhizoprionodon lalandii

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	CHONDRICHTHYES	CARCHARHINIFORMES	CARCHARHINIDAE

Scientific Name:

Rhizoprionodon lalandii

Species Authority:

(Müller & Henle, 1839)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Brazilian Sharpnose Shark
Spanish	–	Cazon Chino

Synonym/s:

Carcharias lalandii Müller & Henle, 1839

Taxonomic Notes:

The specific name has been misspelled and consistently used in the literature as R. lalandei, but the original spelling R. lalandii should be retained (Eschmeyer 1998). Although Müller and Henle (1839) cited Valenciennes as the source of the name, they were responsible for the description, and are therefore regarded as the authorities of the species (Eschmeyer 1998).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Data Deficient ver 3.1
Year Assessed:	2004
Assessor/s:	Rosa, R.S., Gadig, O.B.F., Santos Motta, F. & Namora, R.C.
Reviewer/s:	Kyne, P.M., Cavanagh, R.D. & Fowler, S.L. (Shark Red List Authority)
Justification: A tropical inshore species widely distributed in the Western Atlantic from Panama to southern Brazil. It is common in parts of its distribution. Current population trends through much of its range are uncertain because of lack of records. It is therefore assessed as Data Deficient, although quantitative data on catches and abundance may in future demonstrate this species to be threatened in many parts of its range, where intensive coastal fisheries are occurring. Other human factors, particularly water pollution, probably impact this species and its habitat in heavily populated areas. The species is known to be decreasing through overfishing in northern Brazil. It used to be one of the most abundant elasmobranchs in coastal fisheries in Maranhão, but nowadays is rarely seen there. Increased mortality of all age classes in coastal fisheries, such as occurs off São Paulo, likely threatens heavily exploited populations of this species. The large proportion of neonates and juveniles in catches here further compromises recruitment to the adult population. The species is therefore assessed as Vulnerable in Brazil (although the acquisition of quantitative data may show it to be at a higher level of threat) due to continuing intensive coastal fishing throughout its range.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Information obtained from sampling off the coastal state of São Paulo, Brazil, from 1996 to 2002, such as the presence of gravid females, neonates and juveniles, indicates that R. lalandii use the area as a primary and secondary nursery ground, with subadults leaving the area as they approach maturity (Motta 2001). Among the 12,406 examined sharks in this period, 7,442 (60.01%) were R. lalandii (Motta, F.S, Gadig, O.B.F., Namora, R.C. unpubl. data). The differences in maturity sizes observed along the Brazilian coast suggest the existence of at least two different stocks of R. lalandii in the area (Motta, F.S, Gadig, O.B.F., Namora, R.C. unpubl. data).
Countries:	Native: Aruba; Brazil (Amapá, Bahia, Ceará, Espírito Santo, Maranhão, Pará, Paraíba, Paraná, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, São Paulo, Sergipe); Colombia; French Guiana; Guyana; Panama; Suriname; Trinidad and Tobago; Venezuela
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:	Native: Atlantic – southwest; Atlantic – western central
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population Trend:	Unknown

Population Trend:

Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	The Brazilian Sharpnose Shark is a tropical inshore species of the continental shelf, occurring at depths of 3 to 70 m (Compagno 1984, Gadig 1994, Cervigón and Alcalá 1999, FishBase). It is abundant from Venezuela to northern Brazil and in southern Brazil, but in northeastern Brazil, from Ceará to Bahia States, it is less common, possibly replaced by the congeneric R. porosus. Size at maturity previously reported as 45 to 50 cm total length (TL) for males (Compagno 1984). However, size at maturity shows variation along the Brazilian coast, as follows: 52 cm TL (males) and 56 cm TL (females) on the northern coast (Lessa 1988), and 58 to 60 cm TL (males) and 63 to 65 cm TL (females) on the southeastern coast (Ferreira 1988, Motta 2001). Placental viviparous species with litters of 1 to 5 pups (Gadig 1994, Lessa 1998, Motta 2001). Size at birth is 33 to 34 cm TL (Compagno 1984). Maximum size recorded is 78.5 cm TL (males) and 80 cm TL (females) (Namora 2003). The diet includes mainly small teleost fishes (Sciaenidae, Clupeidae, Engraulidae), and is complemented by squid (Loliginidae) and shrimps (Penaeidae) (Compagno 1984, Silva 1997, Namora 2003). In southeastern Brazil, the diet showed sexual, seasonal and ontogenetic variation (Namora 2003).
Systems:	Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

The Brazilian Sharpnose Shark is a tropical inshore species of the continental shelf, occurring at depths of 3 to 70 m (Compagno 1984, Gadig 1994, Cervigón and Alcalá 1999, FishBase). It is abundant from Venezuela to northern Brazil and in southern Brazil, but in northeastern Brazil, from Ceará to Bahia States, it is less common, possibly replaced by the congeneric R. porosus.

Size at maturity previously reported as 45 to 50 cm total length (TL) for males (Compagno 1984). However, size at maturity shows variation along the Brazilian coast, as follows: 52 cm TL (males) and 56 cm TL (females) on the northern coast (Lessa 1988), and 58 to 60 cm TL (males) and 63 to 65 cm TL (females) on the southeastern coast (Ferreira 1988, Motta 2001).

Placental viviparous species with litters of 1 to 5 pups (Gadig 1994, Lessa 1998, Motta 2001). Size at birth is 33 to 34 cm TL (Compagno 1984). Maximum size recorded is 78.5 cm TL (males) and 80 cm TL (females) (Namora 2003).

The diet includes mainly small teleost fishes (Sciaenidae, Clupeidae, Engraulidae), and is complemented by squid (Loliginidae) and shrimps (Penaeidae) (Compagno 1984, Silva 1997, Namora 2003). In southeastern Brazil, the diet showed sexual, seasonal and ontogenetic variation (Namora 2003).

Systems:

Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Major threats include overfishing in coastal artisanal fisheries, mainly with gillnets, throughout most of its range. The species used to be one of the most abundant elasmobranch species in gillnet catches in Maranhão State, Brazil, but today it is rarely caught (Lessa 1998, R.P.T. Lessa, pers. obs.). The species is commonly taken in artisanal gillnet fisheries in São Paulo State, Brazil, corresponding to nearly 60% of the total captured shark numbers at Itanhaém Municipality (Motta 2001, Gadig et al. 2002). A large proportion of the captured individuals (nearly 70%) in this and other localities include neonates and juveniles (Motta 2001, F.S. Motta, O.B.F. Gadig and R.C. Namora, unpubl. data). In heavily populated areas, the species also suffers from effects of marine pollution. On the São Paulo coast, the species has been shown to be subject to damage from plastic debris with three specimens found with plastic collars around the head or gill region (Sazima et al. 2002). Information is urgently required from other countries within its range. UTILISATION The flesh of this species is used for food, however the fins are generally not utilised due to their small size.

Major Threat(s):

Major threats include overfishing in coastal artisanal fisheries, mainly with gillnets, throughout most of its range. The species used to be one of the most abundant elasmobranch species in gillnet catches in Maranhão State, Brazil, but today it is rarely caught (Lessa 1998, R.P.T. Lessa, pers. obs.). The species is commonly taken in artisanal gillnet fisheries in São Paulo State, Brazil, corresponding to nearly 60% of the total captured shark numbers at Itanhaém Municipality (Motta 2001, Gadig et al. 2002). A large proportion of the captured individuals (nearly 70%) in this and other localities include neonates and juveniles (Motta 2001, F.S. Motta, O.B.F. Gadig and R.C. Namora, unpubl. data). In heavily populated areas, the species also suffers from effects of marine pollution. On the São Paulo coast, the species has been shown to be subject to damage from plastic debris with three specimens found with plastic collars around the head or gill region (Sazima et al. 2002).

Information is urgently required from other countries within its range.

UTILISATION
The flesh of this species is used for food, however the fins are generally not utilised due to their small size.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Protection of coastal habitats, including pollution control and establishment of marine reserves is required. Regulation and management of artisanal coastal fisheries is recommended, including delimitation of fishing areas and periods, limitation of gillnet extension and mesh sizes (minimum and maximum), and mandatory release of live neonate and juvenile specimens.

Conservation Actions:

Protection of coastal habitats, including pollution control and establishment of marine reserves is required. Regulation and management of artisanal coastal fisheries is recommended, including delimitation of fishing areas and periods, limitation of gillnet extension and mesh sizes (minimum and maximum), and mandatory release of live neonate and juvenile specimens.

Bibliography [top]

	Cervigón, F. and Alcalá, A. 1999. Los peces marinos de Venezuela. Vol. 5. Tiburones y Rayas. Fundación Museo del Mar. Compagno, L.J.V. 1984. FAO species catalogue. Vol. 4. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. No. 125, vol. 4. Compagno, L.J.V. 1988. Sharks of the order Carcharhiniformes. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey Eschmeyer, W.N. 1998. Catalog of fishes. California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, USA. Ferreira, B.P. 1988. Ciclo reprodutivo de Rhizoprionodon lalandei (Valenciennes) e Rhizoprionodon porosus (Poey) (Selachii, Carcharhinidae) na região de Barra de Guaratiba, RJ. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências 60(1):91-101. Figueiredo, J.L. 1977. Manual de Peixes Marinhos do Sudeste do Brasil I. Introdução, Cações, raias e quimeras. São Paulo: Museu de Zoologia Universidade de São Paulo. Froese, R. and Pauly, D. (eds). 2004. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. Search FishBase. Gadig, O.B.F. 1994. Fauna de tubarões da costa Norte/Nordeste do Brasil (Chondrichthyes: Elasmobranchii). M.S. thesis. Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa. Gadig, O.B.F. 2001. Tubarões da Costa Brasileira. Ph.D. Dissertation. Universidade Estadual Paulista ? Unesp, Rio Claro. Gadig, O.B.F., Motta, F.S. and Namora R.C. 2002. Projeto Cação - Study on small coastal sharks in São Paulo, Southeast Brasil. In: Proceedings of International Conference on Sustained Management of Coastal Ecosystems, Porto, Portugal. IUCN. 2004. 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 23 November 2004. IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group. Specialist Group website. Available at: http://www.iucnssg.org/. Lessa, R., Santana, F.M., Rincón, G., Gadig, O.B.F. and El-Deir, A.C.A. 1999. Biodiversidade de Elasmobrânquios no Brasil. In: Relatório e Ações Prioritárias para Conservação da Biodiversidade da Zona Costeira e Marinha. Ministério do Meio Ambiente. (http://www.bdt.org.br/workshop/costa). Lessa, R.T.P. 1988. Premières observations sur la biologie reproductive de Rhizoprionodon lalandei (Valenciennes, 1839) (Pises, Carcharhinidae) de la côte Nord du Brèsil ? Maranhão. Revista Brasileira de Biologia 48(4):721-730. Motta, F.S. 2001. A pesca artesanal e a reprodução de Rhizoprionodon lalandii (Elasmobranchii, Carcharhinidae) no litoral sul do estado de São Paulo. M.Sc. Thesis, Unesp, Rio Claro Namora, R.C. 2003. Hábitos alimentares do Cação-Frango, Rhizoprionodon lalandii (Elasmobranchii, Carcharhinidae) na costa sul de São Paulo. M.Sc. Thesis, Unesp, Rio Claro. Sazima, I., Gadig, O.B.F., Namora, R.C. and Motta, F.S. 2002. Plastic debris collars on juvenile carcharhinid sharks (Rhizoprionodon lalandii) in southwest Atlantic. Marine Pollution Bulletin 44:1147-1149. Silva, M.O. 1997. Estudo comparativo da dieta alimentar de Rhizoprionodon lalandii Valenciennes (Carcharhinidae) e jovens de Sphyrna lewini Griffith e Smith (Sphyrnidae), desembarcados na praia das Astúrias, Guarujá ? SP. M.Sc. Thesis, Unesp, Rio Claro Soto, J.M.R. 2001. Annotated systematic checklist and bibliography of the coastal and oceanic fauna of Brazil. I. Sharks. Mare Magnum 1(1):51-120. Steiner, H.M. 1973. Beitrage zur Kenntniss von Verbreitung, Okologie und Bionomie von Batrachuperus persicus (Caudata, Hynobiidae). Salamandra 9(1): 1-6. Uyeno, T., Matsuura, K. and Fujii, E. (eds). 1983. Fishes trawled off Suriname and French Guiana. Japan Marine Fishery Resource Research Center, Tokyo, Japan. Vooren, C.M. and Lessa, R.T.P. 1981. Distribuição e abundância de elasmobrânquios na plataforma continental do Rio Grande do Sul. Ciência e Cultura (suplemento) 33(7):573.

Cervigón, F. and Alcalá, A. 1999. Los peces marinos de Venezuela. Vol. 5. Tiburones y Rayas. Fundación Museo del Mar.

Compagno, L.J.V. 1984. FAO species catalogue. Vol. 4. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. No. 125, vol. 4.

Compagno, L.J.V. 1988. Sharks of the order Carcharhiniformes. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey

Eschmeyer, W.N. 1998. Catalog of fishes. California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, USA.

Ferreira, B.P. 1988. Ciclo reprodutivo de Rhizoprionodon lalandei (Valenciennes) e Rhizoprionodon porosus (Poey) (Selachii, Carcharhinidae) na região de Barra de Guaratiba, RJ. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências 60(1):91-101.

Figueiredo, J.L. 1977. Manual de Peixes Marinhos do Sudeste do Brasil I. Introdução, Cações, raias e quimeras. São Paulo: Museu de Zoologia Universidade de São Paulo.

Froese, R. and Pauly, D. (eds). 2004. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. Search FishBase.

Gadig, O.B.F. 1994. Fauna de tubarões da costa Norte/Nordeste do Brasil (Chondrichthyes: Elasmobranchii). M.S. thesis. Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa.

Gadig, O.B.F. 2001. Tubarões da Costa Brasileira. Ph.D. Dissertation. Universidade Estadual Paulista ? Unesp, Rio Claro.

Gadig, O.B.F., Motta, F.S. and Namora R.C. 2002. Projeto Cação - Study on small coastal sharks in São Paulo, Southeast Brasil. In: Proceedings of International Conference on Sustained Management of Coastal Ecosystems, Porto, Portugal.

IUCN. 2004. 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 23 November 2004.

IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group. Specialist Group website. Available at: http://www.iucnssg.org/.

Lessa, R., Santana, F.M., Rincón, G., Gadig, O.B.F. and El-Deir, A.C.A. 1999. Biodiversidade de Elasmobrânquios no Brasil. In: Relatório e Ações Prioritárias para Conservação da Biodiversidade da Zona Costeira e Marinha. Ministério do Meio Ambiente. (http://www.bdt.org.br/workshop/costa).

Lessa, R.T.P. 1988. Premières observations sur la biologie reproductive de Rhizoprionodon lalandei (Valenciennes, 1839) (Pises, Carcharhinidae) de la côte Nord du Brèsil ? Maranhão. Revista Brasileira de Biologia 48(4):721-730.

Motta, F.S. 2001. A pesca artesanal e a reprodução de Rhizoprionodon lalandii (Elasmobranchii, Carcharhinidae) no litoral sul do estado de São Paulo. M.Sc. Thesis, Unesp, Rio Claro

Namora, R.C. 2003. Hábitos alimentares do Cação-Frango, Rhizoprionodon lalandii (Elasmobranchii, Carcharhinidae) na costa sul de São Paulo. M.Sc. Thesis, Unesp, Rio Claro.

Sazima, I., Gadig, O.B.F., Namora, R.C. and Motta, F.S. 2002. Plastic debris collars on juvenile carcharhinid sharks (Rhizoprionodon lalandii) in southwest Atlantic. Marine Pollution Bulletin 44:1147-1149.

Silva, M.O. 1997. Estudo comparativo da dieta alimentar de Rhizoprionodon lalandii Valenciennes (Carcharhinidae) e jovens de Sphyrna lewini Griffith e Smith (Sphyrnidae), desembarcados na praia das Astúrias, Guarujá ? SP. M.Sc. Thesis, Unesp, Rio Claro

Soto, J.M.R. 2001. Annotated systematic checklist and bibliography of the coastal and oceanic fauna of Brazil. I. Sharks. Mare Magnum 1(1):51-120.

Steiner, H.M. 1973. Beitrage zur Kenntniss von Verbreitung, Okologie und Bionomie von Batrachuperus persicus (Caudata, Hynobiidae). Salamandra 9(1): 1-6.

Uyeno, T., Matsuura, K. and Fujii, E. (eds). 1983. Fishes trawled off Suriname and French Guiana. Japan Marine Fishery Resource Research Center, Tokyo, Japan.

Vooren, C.M. and Lessa, R.T.P. 1981. Distribuição e abundância de elasmobrânquios na plataforma continental do Rio Grande do Sul. Ciência e Cultura (suplemento) 33(7):573.

Citation:	Rosa, R.S., Gadig, O.B.F., Santos Motta, F. & Namora, R.C. 2004. Rhizoprionodon lalandii. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2012.
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