Chondrichthyans from the southern tip of South America with emphasis on the marine protected area Namuncurá‑Burdwood bank: exploring egg nursery grounds

MATUSEVICH, F.; VAZQUEZ, DIEGO MARTÍN; GABBANNELLI, V.; DÍAZ DE ASTARLOA, J. M.; MABRAGAÑA E.

POLAR BIOLOGY

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2023 vol. 46 p. 357 - 372

0722-4060

The Burdwood Bank (BB) is a subantarctic area, where two of the three Marine Protected Areas (MPA) of the ArgentineanExclusive Economic Zone are located: Namuncurá I, and Namuncurá II. The area is characterized by a high biodiversityof benthic invertebrates and teleost fishes; however, the available information on oviparous chondrichthyans is scarce. Theaim of this study is to explore the potential reproductive use that oviparous chondrichthyans could make of the area basedon the presence of egg-laying grounds. Additionally, we aim to provide an updated checklist of the species that inhabit theBB. Samples of specimens and egg capsules collected in four research cruises carried out between 2016 and 2018 were analyzed.Seven skate species were found in both MPAs: Amblyraja doellojuradoi, Bathyraja albomaculata, B. brachyurops, B.macloviana, B. multispinis, B. scaphiops, and Psammobatis rudis; whereas B. cousseauae, and B. magellanica were foundexclusively in Namuncurá I. Here we report, for the first time, the presence of egg-laying grounds for five chondrichthyanspecies in the BB area: A. doellojuradoi, B. brachyurops, B. macloviana, B. scaphiops, and P. rudis. The results obtainedhighlighted the importance of the region for the conservation of oviparous chondrichthyans found in the southern Patagonianshelf.