Studies of the feeding habits of sea turtles are important in identifying their feeding grounds and preferred prey, thus helping with management decisions regarding habitat protection. The present study describes, for the first time, the feeding habits of the sea turtles Caretta caretta and Lepidochelys olivacea in Rio de Janeiro State, south-eastern Brazil (22°06′S–22°55′S). The stomach contents of five C. caretta and five L. olivacea recovered between 2009 and 2010 were analysed to identify the prey species. A common feeding pattern was noted for both species, with bottom-dwelling prey (fish, crustaceans, molluscs and echinoderms), common in shallow environments, constituting the main food items. All fish and brachyuran crustacean species identified in the stomach contents were by-catch in small-scale shrimp fisheries that operate along the study area. The coastal waters of Rio de Janeiro State represent a new feeding ground for L. olivacea, expanding its preferential habitat during the non-reproductive period. The results provide strong evidence for the likelihood that sea turtles are interacting with fisheries due to an overlapping between feeding and fishery grounds. An evaluation of carcasses washed up on beaches is needed for a better understanding of the effects on the population dynamics of sea turtles.

To verify the movements of the rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis) on the coast of Rio de Janeiro State, south-eastern Brazil, we performed a photo-identification comparison between the catalogued individuals of Rio de Janeiro City (22°54′10″S–43°12′27″W) (N = 30) during August and September 2011 and the Cabo Frio region (22°52′46″S–42°01′07″W) (N = 41) during March and August 2011. Two photo-identified individuals from Rio de Janeiro City were resighted in the Cabo Frio region, approximately 119.7 km east of the original Rio de Janeiro sighting and two other individuals identified in the Cabo Frio region were resighted in the Rio de Janeiro City area, approximately 117.0 km west of the original sighting. This study reports the first information about the movements of the species in Brazil within these coastal areas.

The present paper provides the first record of the brachyuran crab species as by-catch from shrimp fishery practices in northern Rio de Janeiro State, south-eastern Brazil (21°30′S–21°50′S). Monthly samples were collected from April 2006 to March 2007 along the coastal fishing ground, from 0 to 4 nautical miles offshore and from 10 to 15 m depth. Eight species and 6833 crab specimens were recorded: Arenaeus cribarius (N = 11), Callinectes ornatus (N = 5613), Cronius rubber (N = 16), Hepatus pudibundus (N = 523), Libinia ferreirae (N = 202), Persephona mediterranea (N = 1), P. punctata (N = 466) and Portunus spinimanus (N = 1). A seasonal pattern of the crabs' occurrence was not found. The catches per unit effort values of C. ornatus were significantly greater than the other crabs and its high number indicates a resident pattern along the coastal fishing ground in the study area. The by-caught specimens of C. ornatus can be used as bait in Balistidae (triggerfish) fishery practice by the local fishermen, but the other crab species are discarded after by-catch.

The pygmy killer whale (Feresa attenuata) is a small cetacean that can be found worldwide in offshore tropical and warm temperate waters. Most information about F. attenuata has been attributed to stranded or accidentally caught specimens and rarely through observation of free-ranging individuals. There is very little information about this cetacean in South Atlantic waters. In Brazil, only two confirmed strandings and four sightings have been published up to date. In this study we present the third confirmed stranding of the pygmy killer whale on the Brazilian coast. The current and previous records of Brazilian specimens suggest that F. attenuata may eventually use the continental shelf to feed and rest, principally in some areas of the Brazilian waters where this oceanographic feature is narrow.