Aculeola nigra

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	CHONDRICHTHYES	SQUALIFORMES	ETMOPTERIDAE

Scientific Name:

Aculeola nigra

Species Authority:

de Buen, 1959

Common Name/s:

English	–	Hooktooth Dogfish
Spanish	–	Tollo Negro, Tollo Negro De Cachos

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Data Deficient ver 3.1
Year Assessed:	2004
Assessor/s	Acuña, E. & Romero, M.
Evaluator/s:	Kyne, P.M., Cavanagh, R.D. & Fowler, S.L. (Shark Red List Authority)
Justification: A poorly known deepwater (110 to 735 m, but most commonly 200 to 500 m) etmopterid shark endemic to a limited area of the Southeast Pacific off Peru and Chile. Grows to a maximum of 60 cm total length (TL), with an average litter size of 10, but its biology is still relatively unknown. Aculeola nigra is reported to be relatively common within its limited range, but is potentially vulnerable to deepwater fishing methods. It is known to be taken as bycatch in Chilean deepwater crustacean trawl fisheries, where it was the most important chondrichthyan bycatch species by weight in the deep sea shrimp fishery. There is no indication of bycatch levels off Peru. Without detailed data on catch levels and trends, and pending further work on life history, the species cannot be assessed beyond Data Deficient at present.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Southeastern Pacific Ocean: endemic to Chile (25°05’24’’S to 34°15’47’’S; 35°26’S, 73°01’W) and Perú (González 2001, Acuña and Villarroel 2002, Meléndez and Meneses, 1989).
Countries:	Native: Chile; Peru
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:	Native: Pacific – southeast

Population [top]

Population:	Reported as relatively common within its limited range (Compagno in prep. a).
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Benthic and epibenthic on the continental shelf and upper slope on soft bottoms. Compagno (in prep. a) reports this species from depths of 110 to 735 m, but more commonly 200 to 500 m. Ovoviviparous, number of young average 10 (Acuña et al. 2003). Feeding habits: crustaceans and small fishes, deep-sea shrimp Euphausia mucronata, Heterocarpus reedi and the myctophid Diogenichthys laternatus (Acuña et al. 2003). Known life history paramenters: Size at maturity: 52 to 54 cm total length (TL) (female); 42 to 46 cm TL (male). Maximum size: 60 cm TLSize at birth : 14 cm TL. Average annual fecundity or litter size: 10
Systems:	Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

Benthic and epibenthic on the continental shelf and upper slope on soft bottoms. Compagno (in prep. a) reports this species from depths of 110 to 735 m, but more commonly 200 to 500 m. Ovoviviparous, number of young average 10 (Acuña et al. 2003).

Feeding habits: crustaceans and small fishes, deep-sea shrimp Euphausia mucronata, Heterocarpus reedi and the myctophid Diogenichthys laternatus (Acuña et al. 2003).

Known life history paramenters: Size at maturity: 52 to 54 cm total length (TL) (female); 42 to 46 cm TL (male). Maximum size: 60 cm TLSize at birth : 14 cm TL. Average annual fecundity or litter size: 10

Systems:

Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	In Chile, bycatch in the deep sea crustacean trawl fishery for the red squat lobster Pleuroncodes monodon, the yellow squat lobster Cervimunida johni and especially the deep-sea shrimp Heterocarpus reedi off Northern and Central Chile (from 25°05’24’’S to 34°15’47’’S and 259–498 m depth (González 2001, Acuña and Villarroel 2002). In this fishery it was the most important chondrichthyan species by weight, comprising about 5% of the bycatch (Acuña and Villarroel 2002). This species may be of conservation concern due to its narrow geographical range and potential vulnerability to deepwater fishing methods given its bathymetric range and the global expansion of deepwater fishing (Compagno in prep. a).

Major Threat(s):

In Chile, bycatch in the deep sea crustacean trawl fishery for the red squat lobster Pleuroncodes monodon, the yellow squat lobster Cervimunida johni and especially the deep-sea shrimp Heterocarpus reedi off Northern and Central Chile (from 25°05’24’’S to 34°15’47’’S and 259–498 m depth (González 2001, Acuña and Villarroel 2002). In this fishery it was the most important chondrichthyan species by weight, comprising about 5% of the bycatch (Acuña and Villarroel 2002).

This species may be of conservation concern due to its narrow geographical range and potential vulnerability to deepwater fishing methods given its bathymetric range and the global expansion of deepwater fishing (Compagno in prep. a).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	None in place. Monitoring of catches is a priority.

Conservation Actions:

None in place. Monitoring of catches is a priority.

Citation:	Acuña, E. & Romero, M. 2004. Aculeola nigra. In: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 02 December 2008.
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