Biological and Ecological Aspects of the Blackmouth Catshark (Galeus melastomus Rafinesque, 1810) in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea

Abstract

Data on the biology and ecology of Galeus melastomus are old/absent for the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, despite there being numerous studies in the wider area. A total of 127 specimens of G. melastomus from the southern Tyrrhenian Sea, collected in 2018–2019 using trawling nets, were analyzed to investigate size at sexual maturity, sex ratio, length–weight relationships, and feeding habits. To our best knowledge, this is the first time in which all these features were investigated in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea for G. melastomus. The stomach content analysis showed that G. melastomus had intermediate feeding habits, preying on a great variety of species, especially Cephalopoda, Osteichthyes, and Crustacea. The Levin’s index value (Bi) was 0.53. Sex ratio was 0.92:1, with females slightly more abundant and bigger than males. The results also showed a decrease (33.7 cm for females, 31.1 cm for males) in length at 50% maturity (L50). This could be a result of anthropogenic stressors, such as overfishing and/or and environmental changes, which can induce physiological responses in several species. Our results highlighted the differences related to sexual maturity, growth, and feeding habits of the blackmouth catshark in the studied area, providing reference data to allow comparison with future studies on this species adaptations to this and other deep-sea areas in the Mediterranean Sea.

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