Title
Trophic ecology of the smooth hammerhead shark (Sphyrna Zygaena) off the coast of northern Peru
Date Issued
01 January 2017
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Publisher(s)
National Marine Fisheries Service
Abstract
The smooth hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena) is the third most captured shark species in Peru, a nation with one of the largest shark fisheries in the Pacific Ocean. We sought to better understand the trophic ecology of this shark in northern Peru by analyzing stomach contents. From 2013 through 2015, we collected 485 samples of gut contents from sharks measuring 53-294 cm in total length. Our results show that the smooth hammerhead is a top predator with a diet dominated by jumbo flying squid (Dosidicus gigas) and the Patagonian squid (Doryteuthis (Amerigo) gahi). Smooth hammerheads displayed different diets with different body size, and this finding indicates that sharks change their distribution and habitat during development. This study represents the most comprehensive investigation to date of the trophic ecology of smooth hammerhead in waters off Peru. We propose that these waters represent an important eastern Pacific Ocean feeding ground for smooth hammerhead. Because this species is commercially important and also preys upon other commercial species, these findings could contribute to the design and implementation of plans for ecosystembased fisheries management.
Start page
451
End page
459
Volume
115
Issue
4
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Biología marina, Biología de agua dulce, Limnología
Ecología
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85027306359
Source
Fishery Bulletin
ISSN of the container
00900656
Source project
Fondo para la Innovación, la Ciencia y la Tecnología PIBA-369-2014
Sponsor(s)
The authors thank the following institutions who funded this study: Fondo para la Innovación, la Ciencia y la Tecnología (PIBA-369-2014), Rufford Foundation, PADI Foundation, Whitney Fund for Nature, and Darwin Initiative. They thank A. Jiménez, S. Pingo, J. Xavier, S. Kohatsu, A. Sánchez, and A. Arévalo for assistance in collecting, analyzing, and identifying samples, and B. Ramsby for assistance in designing the figures.
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus