Paulo Alberto Silva da Costa

Fish Biodiversity of the Vitória-Trindade Seamount Chain, Southwestern Atlantic: An Updated Database

Despite a strong increase in research on seamounts and oceanic islands ecology and biogeography, many basic aspects of their biodiversity are still unknown. In the southwestern Atlantic, the Vitória-Trindade Seamount Chain (VTC) extends ca. 1,200 km offshore the Brazilian continental shelf, from the Vitória seamount to the oceanic islands of Trindade and Martin Vaz. For a long time, most of the biological information available regarded its islands. Our study presents and analyzes an extensive database on the VTC fish biodiversity, built on data compiled from literature and recent scientific expeditions that assessed both shallow to mesophotic environments. A total of 273 species were recorded, 211 of which occur on seamounts and 173 at the islands. New records for seamounts or islands include 191 reef fish species and 64 depth range extensions. The structure of fish assemblages was similar between islands and seamounts, not differing in species geographic distribution, trophic composition, or spawning strategies. Main differences were related to endemism, higher at the islands, and to the number of endangered species, higher at the seamounts. Since unregulated fishing activities are common in the region, and mining activities are expected to drastically increase in the near future (carbonates on seamount summits and metals on slopes), this unique biodiversity needs urgent attention and management.

Mercúrio total em músculo de cação Prionace glauca (Linnaeus, 1758) e de espadarte Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758, na costa sul-sudeste do Brasil e suas implicações para a saúde pública

Foram analisadas as concentracoes de mercurio total (THg) em tecido muscular do tubarao azul Prionace glauca e do teleosteo Xiphias gladius, vulgarmente conhecido como espadarte, provenientes das regioes sul e sudeste da costa brasileira, para verificar se estas se encontram dentro dos padroes legais para consumo humano. As amostras foram obtidas utilizando-se o programa REVIZEE, de agosto a setembro de 2001, e por intermedio de uma empresa de pesca em Itajai, Santa Catarina. Foi analisado um total de 95 especimes, testando-se as correlacoes entre THg, comprimento (cm) e peso (kg). As concentracoes de mercurio total em todas as amostras variaram de 0,13 a 2,26µgg-1 (peso umido). A media de mercurio total em P. glauca foi de 0,76 ± 0,48µgg-1 (p.u.), e em X. gladius foi de 0,62 ± 0,31µgg-1 (p.u.) com diferenca nao significativa (teste Mann-Whitney, p < 0,05). Em cerca de 16% das amostras, o THg excedeu o limite de 1µgg-1 (Agencia Nacional de Vigilância Sanitaria) e em 62% excedeu o limite de 0,5µgg-1 (Organizacao Mundial da Saude - OMS). O consumo regular (100 g.dia-1) de P. glauca e de X. gladius resultaria em uma ingestao diaria de THg que excederia em mais de duas vezes o limite diario de ingestao recomendado pela OMS.

Organochlorine compounds in sharks from the Brazilian coast

We are grateful to Prof. An. Subramanian, Ehime University, for critical reading of this manuscript. Financial assistance was provided by ‘‘21st Century COE Program” and ‘‘Global COE Program” from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan. This study was supported also by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S) (No. 20221003) from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

Fishes of the family Ipnopidae (Teleostei: Aulopiformes) collected on the Brazilian continental slope between 11° and 23° S

A collection of fishes from the Brazilian continental slope between 11 degrees and 23 degrees S obtained through trawling revealed nine species of Ipnopidae. Bathypterois bigelowi and Bathytyphlops marionae represent first records from the south-western Atlantic Ocean and Bathypterois grallator is reported off Brazil for the first time. Four species have their distribution extended in Brazilian waters: Bathypterois phenax, Bathypterois quadrifilis, Bathypterois viridensis and Ipnops murrayi. An identification key of Ipnopidae species from the south-western Atlantic Ocean is included.

Megafaunal communities along a depth gradient on the tropical Brazilian continental margin

Abstract The species composition, abundance and diversity patterns of the epibenthic megafauna and fish community from the tropical Brazilian continental margin were analysed based on 42 bottom trawls from the Campos Basin continental shelf and slope. Trawls were collected aboard R/V Gyre during autumn 2008 from depths of 13 to 2030 m. Overall, 452 species belonging to five main taxa were identified: teleosts (Actinopterygii) were represented by 196 species, crustaceans by 113 species and echinoderms by 108 species. These three groups contributed 92% to the 452 taxa. Several species (289) were recorded only once or twice, and the species accumulation curves showed no signs of being close to reaching asymptotic values. A tendency of increasing diversity and richness with depth was observed. Analysis of the trawls showed the existence of megafaunal assemblages significantly associated with depth and water mass. The shelf group (13–100 m) had subgroups associated with Coastal Water (CW) and South Atlantic Central Water (SACW). The upper-slope group (376–501 m) was found exclusively under the influence of SACW. The mid- and lower-slope group (978–2030 m) had two subgroups associated with the presence of Antarctic Intermediate Water and North Atlantic Deep Water. The 39 typifying species contributed 90% to the global similarity. Teleosts and squids greatly contributed to the within-group similarity over the shelf, while decapods, echinoids and galatheids contributed to the upper-slope assemblage. Deep-sea isopods and decapods mostly contributed to the mid- and lower-slope assemblages.

Deep-sea bigscales, pricklefishes, gibberfishes and whalefishes (Teleostei: Stephanoberycoidei) off Brazil: new records, range extensions for the south-western Atlantic Ocean and remarks on the taxonomy of Poromitra.

The Stephanoberycoidei includes 23 genera and c. 94 species of deep-sea teleosts commonly known as bigscales, pricklefishes, gibberfishes and whalefishes. Stephanoberycoidei is one of the least known groups of deep-sea fishes, in spite of their apparent relative abundance in meso and bathypelagic depths. Nine species of the Stephanoberycoidei are reported here for the first time in Brazilian waters, and most of them represent new range extensions for the south-western Atlantic Ocean. Those species are Melamphaes polylepis, Melamphaes typhlops, Poromitra sp. and Scopeloberyx robustus (Melamphaidae), Acanthochaenus luetkenii and Stephanoberyx monae (Stephanoberycidae), Rondeletia bicolor and Rondeletia loricata (Rondeletiidae) and Gyrinomimus sp. (Cetomimidae). Occurrences of the pricklefish Scopelogadus mizolepis (Melamphaidae), the gibberfish Gibberichthys pumilus (Gibberichthyidae) and the velvet whalefish Barbourisia rufa (Barbourisiidae) are confirmed in the Brazilian exclusive economic zone, but previously published records of Poromitra capito and Melamphaes simus (Melamphaidae) in the region most likely represent misidentifications. Validities of the recently described Poromitra kukuevi and Poromitra indooceanica are discussed in light of new specimens of the genus collected in the south-western Atlantic Ocean. An identification key for the 13 species of Stephanoberycoidei reported off Brazil is also provided.

A new record of whale shark Rhincodon typus in Brazilian waters: a report of association with Caranx crysos

In May 2011, a Rhincodon typus was sighted on the continental shelf of the central Brazilian coast, in the vicinity of a gas platform. During the video record, an interspecific following association was observed between a Caranx crysos school and the R. typus.

Peixes marinhos da Bacia de Campos: uma revisão da diversidade

Este trabalho aborda de maneira sintetizada alguns aspectos sobre a diversidade de peixes marinhos da Bacia de Campos, atraves da compilacao de dados disponiveis na literatura especializada e dos resultados do levantamento faunistico realizado no âmbito do Projeto Habitats. Alem de quantificar a representatividade de taxons em diferentes categorias, apresenta uma analise preliminar sobre a distribuicao geografica e a ocupacao das especies envolvidas em diferentes compartimentos de habitat. A compilacao de dados resultou em uma lista que inclui 39 ordens, 186 familias, 540 generos e 895 especies de peixes. As familias mais especiosas em cada compartimento sao: Serranidae (recifal), Sciaenidae (demersal), Macrouridae (batidemersal), Scombridae (pelagico), Carangidae (bentopelagico) e Myctophidae (batipelagico). Das 875 especies nominais de peixes marinhos da Bacia de Campos, 16% tem sua distribuicao restrita ao Atlântico Sul Ocidental, 42% ocorrem no Atlântico Ocidental, 11% no Oceano Atlântico, 24% ocorrem no Atlântico, Indico e Pacifico, 5% ocorrem no Atlântico e Pacifico, enquanto apenas 2% ocorrem no Atlântico e Indico. Uma analise sobre o habitat preferencial demonstrou que 30% das especies sao recifais, 24% demersais, 15% batipelagicas, 12% pelagicas, 11% batidemersais e 8% sao bentopelagicas. Especies com distribuicao mais restrita estao percentualmente mais representadas nos compartimentos recifal e demersal, ao passo que aquelas mais amplamente distribuidas sao de habito pelagico, bentopelagico ou batipelagico. O numero total de especies de peixes marinhos da Bacia de Campos representa cerca de 69% da fauna de peixes marinhos do Brasil. Somente na ultima decada, 23 especies de peixes marinhos que ocorrem na Bacia de Campos foram descritas, incluindo tanto grupos costeiros quanto oceânicos. Atribui-se a impressionante diversidade de peixes marinhos da Bacia de Campos a grande heterogeneidade ambiental observada em uma area relativamente pequena. Apesar dos esforcos empreendidos nos levantamentos faunisticos e do grande volume de dados acumulados nos ultimos anos, o conhecimento sobre a diversidade de peixes marinhos da Bacia de Campos ainda possui lacunas. Novos estudos com enfoque em levantamentos faunisticos devem levar em consideracao o uso de diferentes metodos amostrais em ambientes ainda pouco explorados.

Age estimation, growth and maturity of the Argentine hake (Merluccius hubbsi Marini, 1933) along the northernmost limit of its distribution in the south-western Atlantic

ABSTRACT Age, growth and length-at-maturity of the Argentine hake (Merluccius hubbsi) were studied in the northernmost limit of the species distribution in the south-western Atlantic. A total of 351 otoliths and information from 1610 specimens sampled from the industrial double-rig trawl landings between May 2013 and April 2014 were used. Age and growth were estimated by counting and measuring increments in sectioned sagittae otoliths, and length at maturity was estimated based on macroscopic gonadal analysis. For both sexes, hepatosomatic index and condition index increased mainly during spring, reaching a maximum at the end of summer before the subsequent spawning season began. Gonadosomatic index was highest in April, believed to correspond with peak spawning. The annual periodicity of alternate opaque and translucent zones was validated by marginal increment analysis. Growth curves were fitted to back-calculated size at age by fitting the three-parameters von Bertalanffy growth function. The maximum age was 5 years in fish of either sex. Females attained larger sizes than males. The parameters of the von Bertalanffy growth equations were: L∞ = 533 mm, k = 0.231 year−1 and t0 = −0.935 year for females; L∞ = 394 mm, k = 0.405 year−1 and t0 = −0.463 year for males. The mean length and age at first maturity was 273 mm at 1.9 years for males and 274 mm at 2.0 years for females.

The carcinofauna found in stomach contents of the flying gurnard (Dactylopterus volitans) on the continental shelf of the Campos Basin, Brazil

ABSTRACT A total of 3109 crustaceans belonging to 50 taxa distributed in 42 families were found in 117 analysed stomachs of flying gurnard (Dactylopterus volitans). Samples were obtained in April 2008 by the R/V Gyre using a bottom trawl towed in 12 stations at 14–100 m depth on the continental shelf of the Campos Basin, Brazil. The carcinofauna was analysed and the order Calanoida (Copepoda) found to be the most important item in terms of relative abundance and frequency of occurrence, followed by the order Amphipoda (Peracarida), the infraorder Brachyura (Decapoda), the order Stomatopoda and the subclass Myodocopa (Ostracoda). In the order Calanoida, the species Pontellopsis cf. villosa (Pontellidae) represented 98.04% of total crustacean abundance. The diet of Dactylopterus volitans varied according to fish size, with higher diversity of Crustacea at smaller size classes, decreasing in larger fishes. A similar pattern regarding depth was obtained, with greater diversity of taxa in gurnard stomachs caught at shallower depths. Flying gurnard is considered a generalized carnivore of invertebrates, eating mobile macrobenthic organisms, such as crustaceans, and its diet varies with its life stage, without any specific group as its main food source.