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Reproductive biology of the silky shark Carcharhinus falciformis in the southern Mexican Pacific

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 December 2014

C. Galván-Tirado ,
F. Galván-Magaña  and
R.I. Ochoa-Báez
C. Galván-Tirado
Affiliation:
Posgrado en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito exterior s/n, Ciudad universitaria, México, DF 04510, México
F. Galván-Magaña*
Affiliation:
Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, IPN, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional s/n, Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita, La Paz, BCS 23096, México
R.I. Ochoa-Báez
Affiliation:
Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, IPN, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional s/n, Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita, La Paz, BCS 23096, México
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: F. Galván-Magaña, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, IPN, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional s/n, Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita, La Paz, BCS 23096, México email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Despite being one of the most abundant and highly exploited species in the Mexican Pacific Ocean, information on the biology of the silky shark, Carcharhinus falciformis is limited. The objective of the present study was to describe the reproductive biology of this species, based on 262 sharks (117 females and 145 males) caught from September 2004 to May 2006 in the Gulf of Tehuantepec, Mexico. The size of females ranged from 70 to 229 cm total length (TL); males measured from 69 to 220 cm TL. Female reproductive organ measurements showed that between 175 and 190 cm TL there was an increase in oviducal gland width (19–45 mm), as well as in uterus size (20–220 mm width). Mature males over 180 cm had calcified claspers, well-developed testes (184–282 mm) and presence of sperm in the seminal vesicles. The estimated length of males at first maturity was 180 cm, and that of females was 190 cm. Ovarian fecundity varied from 4 to 11 oocytes, and uterine fecundity varied from 2 to 14 embryos. We infer that mating occurs between May and June. We did not find sperm storage in the oviducal glands. Birth size was observed to be between 60 and 69 cm TL. No defined gestation period was observed.

Keywords

silky sharkfecundityreproductionMexico
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 95 , Issue 3 , May 2015 , pp. 561 - 567
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2014 

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