Biologia reprodutiva e alimentar do tubarão mustelus higmani (chondrichthyes, triakidae)

Abstract

The smooth-hound Mustelus higmaniis a small golden-colored benthonicshark.This species is commonly found in coastal waters from the Gulf of Venezuela to Santos-SP, southeastern Brazil. Little is known about M. higmani’s reproductive and feeding biology. Only information about its westernmost portion of its distribution range (Venezuela and Suriname) isavailable for the international scientific community. This is because information about M. higmani’s life history along the Brazilian coast is, so far, restricted B.Sc. monographsand Masters dissertations that are unpublished and written in Portuguese. Given that the Brazilian coast is the largest part of the species’ distribution range, it can be considered important that information about its biology in this area to be available to the scientific community. It is within this context that the present study had the goal of reviewing the reproductive and feeding biology of M. higmani along its distribution range. In total, biological data from 4.190 specimens were compiledfrom five studies. Sexual proportion varies along its distribution range, mainly with the predominance of males. There is no geographical variation for the first sexual maturation (L50) of females and males (400-449 mm e 450-499 mm de comprimento total CT, respectivamente). Mustelus higmanihas a seasonal reproductive on the southernmost portion of its range. On the other hand, there is no seasonalityin the reproduction of this species in the northern portion of its distribution. The ovarian fecundity varies between 5 and 10 oocytes. On the other hand, uterine fecundity varies between 1 and 7 embryos. Finally, M. higmani’s diet is composed mainly by crustaceans (specially Decapoda and Stomatopoda), fish, and mollusks.