Fauna de elasmobrânquos do Estuário do Rio Curu, Ceará, Brasil

Abstract

Estuaries are environments with relevant ecological interactions with surrounding habitat and relatively high species diversity. There are only few studies citing the occurrence of elasmobranchs on estuaries along Ceara’s coastline. The goal of the present study was to characterize the elasmobranch fauna of the Curu River estuary. Between September 2004 and December 2007, small-scale fisheries conducted in the estuary were monthly monitored. Six species were recorded: Rhizoprionodon porosus (n=4), Carcharhinus limbatus (n=2), Dasyatis guttata (n=130), D. marianae (n=6), Gymnura micrura (n=8) and Aetobatus narinari (fishermen’s account). Based on these results, the number of elasmobranch species recorded for the Curu River estuary was tripled (from two to six), while the number for overall State stuaries increased 50% (from six to nine species). Nearly all specimens were neonates. The Curu estuary follows, at least in part, one of the three criteria defining elasmobranch nursery areas. Confirming this status will depend on further research.