ANSIALES • Ser. hist. nat. -11 2001 • 2 (25)
original scientific paper	UDC 597(262.3)
received: 8. 10. 2001
ON THE CAPTURE OF A YOUNG PORBEAGLE, LAMNA NASUS (BONNATERRE, 1 788}, IN THE WESTERN ADRIATIC SEA
Mario MARCONI
Museo d¡ Soenze Nat..raii & Dipart. di Biología M.C.A., Universitá d«gli Sfjrfi di Camerino, IT-62032 Camerino, vía Camerini 2 and Museo Ittico Augusto Capriotti, IT- 630W S. Beredetto de; Tronío, Banchina Maiíizia F mait: ri"..mat@carr.serv.unicarn.it
Aiessandro DE MAGDALENA Banca Jati Italiana Squato Biarc:o (Italian Gr&atWiiite Shaik Üata Banki, IT-20145 Milano, via L. Arios!» 4
E-maií: ademadda!ena<§>tiscalinei ¡I:
ABSTRACT
The authors report the capture of a young porbeagle Larnna nasus (Bonnaterre, ¡788), on fitly If?, 2001 in the centra! Adnata: Sea, off S. Benedetto del Tronto (Italy). Morphometry: measurements and macrophotographs of the teeth are repented. The specimen was a female weighing 6.5 kg and measuring 91 cm in total length, its stomach contained sardines, Sardina pilchardus. IVe estimated its age at I to 17 months. The specimen was included in the collections of the Museo Ittico Augusto Capriotti in San Benedetto del Tronto (cat. no. ¡850!
Key words: porbeagle, Lamna nasus, sharks, Adriatic Sea
¡NTORNO ALLA CATTURA DI UN GiOVANF SMERIGLIO, LAMNA NASUS (BONNATERRE, 1738), NHL MARE ADRIATICO OCCIDENTALE
SINTESf
Viene apórtala la cattura di un giovane esemplate di smeriglio Lamna nasus (Bonnaterre, 1788), avvenula ¡i 15 Lugho 2001 nel Medio Mare Adriático, al largo di 5. Benedetto del Tronto (Italia). Vengono presentad i dali morfo-metrici ed alcune macrofotografie della dentatur*. i 'esemplate era una femmina di 6.5 kg di peso e 91 cm di lun-ghezza tota le !i contenuto stomacale era costituito da sardine, Sardina pilchardus. L'eta deW individuo é s tata stimata tra 1 e 17 mes/. L'esernpíare é stato incluso ne/le collezioni de! Museo Ittico Augusto Capriotti di San Benedetto del Tronío (no. cat. 1850)
Parole chiave: smeriglio, Lamna nasus, squali. Mar Adriático
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ANNA LES • Ser. hist. nat. 11 2001 ■ 2 (25)
Mario Marconi & Alosand«» DE .MADDALENA: ON THE CAPTURC OF A YOUNG PORBEAGLE, IAMNA NASUS {BONNATERRE. t ..... ! ?<)■ 184
INTRODUCTION
The porbeagle Lamna nasus (Bonnaterre, 1788) is a member of the Lamnidae Mil Her & Henle, 1838 family. It is a large species that can reach at (east 300 cm and possibly to 370 cm in total length and at least 230 kg in weight (Castro, 1983; Compagno, 1984). It can be easily identified by its spindle-shaped body, strongly conical snout, lunate caudal fin, strong primary caudal keels and small secondary keels, teeth moderately large and bladelike with a pair of lateral cusplets, large rounded dark eyes, dark blue-grey to blackish coloration on the dorsal surface and white on the ventral surface, a conspicuous white rear tip of first dorsal fin (Castro, 1983; Compagno, ¡984) (Tig. 1). The porbeagle is fast swimming mackerel shark, its speed and power can be explained by a complex blood vessel heat-exchanging arrangement: in fact, we could consider this condition as warrn-bloodedness or endotbermy, well known also in other mackarel sharks (Carey ef ai, 1985). It feeds mainly on small pelagic. schooling bony fishes, selachians, squids (Compagno, 1984). Porbeagle may take 5 or more years to reach maturity: in Northern Hemisphere males mature at about 150-200 cm total length, while females at about 218-229 cm (Francis & Stevens, 2000). its mode of reproduction is aplacentai viviparity and embryos are nourished by oophagy. The gestation period is 8 9 months (Francis & Stevens, 2000), and in the North Atlantic birth occurs in spring and summer (Castro, 1983: Francis & Stevens, 2000); litter size is 2-5 (usually 4), and size at birth is 68-89 cm total length (Francis & Stevens, 2000; Mollet, 2001). Porbeagle is an important object of commercial fisheries all around the world for its high-quality meat, mainly caught on pelagic ionglines, and also highly considered for sport-fishery. The intensive fishery greatly reduced the population of porbeagle in the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea (Castro, 1983; Compagno, 1984; Moreno, 1995; Van-nuccini, 1999; Watts, 2001). In Italy, where porbeagle
meat is widely eaten and usually marketed as "palombo" (smooth-hound, Musteius sp.}, it's mainly imported frozen or fresh from North-eastern Atlantic Countries and Japan (De Maddalena & Piscitelli, 2001).
Porbeagle is a littoral and epipelagic species that prefers waters colder than 18°C (Aasen, 1963). Widely distributed in the cold temperate waters of the North Atlantic, South Atlantic, South Indian and South Pacific Oceans. In the Mediterranean, it is indicated as rare or very rare in all waters (Tortonese, 1938; Capape, 1989; Barrull et a!., 1999; Buencuerpo et ai., 1998); while only in the waters off North-western Sicily, it is reported as small common (A. Celona, pers. comm.). Murioz-Cha-puli (1984) examined 67 specimens caught during 1981 in an area of the East-central Atlantic Ocean and Alboran Sea: founding only specimens over 119 cm in length, he hypotesized that porbeagle don't reproduce at our latitudes. Recently Orsi Relini & Garibaldi (2001) reported capture of 3 young specimens under 1 m-Tl. from the Li-gurian Sea. in the Adriatic Sea captures of porbeagle were ever been particularly rare [Tortonese, 1956; Pal-laoro & jardas, 1996; Soldo & Jardas, 2001; L. Lipej, pers. comm.). In the eastern Adriatic only 5 specimens were recorded after 1950, last being dated September 1993 (Soldo & Jardas, 2001; A. Soldo, pers. comm.). Therefore we consider it particularly interesting to report the recent capture of a very young specimen in the west-central Adriatic Sea.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We collected data on the location of capture and gear from the angler who caught the shark. The porbeagle, brought to the Museo Ittico Augusta Capriotti in San Benedetto del Tronto, was then prepared by the taxidermist Mr. Sergio Giacoia, and added to the collection with the catalogue number 1850. The specimen was examined by one of the authors (M.M.) and detailed mor-phometric measurements were taken using a digital
ffli
Fig. 1: Porbeagle Lamna nasus (Bonnaterre, 1788). (Drawing: A. De Maddalena) SI. 1: Atlantski skusolovec Lamna nasus <Bonnaterre, 1788). (Risba: A. De Maddalena)
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ANNALES - Ser. Iiist. nat. - 11 • 2001 - 2 (25)
Mario Marroni & Alassaridno l)£ MAODAtEHA. ON THE CAPTURE OF A VOUK'C PORBEAGLE, LAMNA NAJUSIBONNATERRE, 1788}.. .. 179 184
calypcr. For the body measurements we used Com-pagno's guidelines (1084;, while teeth were measured arc ording to Mollel el a!. (199;'..;. The tooth's total height was measured, indicated as H in Mollet et aI. (1996). that is., total crown and root height, aid we considered anterior, intermediate and the last reachable lateral or posterior teeth {measurements were effected on the taxi dermy mounted specimen). Moreover some macropho tographs of the teeth were taken
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
On Sunday, July 15"' 2001, a young specimen of porbeagle was caught along the Italian coast of the west-central Adriatic Sea, 90° Cast of S. Benedetto del Tronto (AP), 15 miles offshore (Figs. 2, 3). The shark was captured with big game rod and reel equipment by a sport fisherman, Mr. Piero Crescenzi. The shark was hooked at a depth of 35 m, on a sea floor 85 m deep. It was 10:35 a.m., witi; a smooth sea and clear weather.
Fhe specimen was a young female weighing 6.5 kg and measuring 9) cm in total length. Its stomach content was 8 sardines, Sardina pUchardus, some probably from chum. Minute irregular cusplets, but noticeably smaller than in adult, were observable at the base of some upper lateral teeth, while other teeth lack these lateral denticles (this characteristic is shown even in the photos; Figs. 4, 5) Fhe shape of teeth is much more
similar to the shortfin mako Isurus oxyrinchus Rafi-nesque, 1810 than in adult. Coloration was blackish on the dorsal surface and metallic blue-grey on the flanck and the side of head; caudal fin was light in the middle with conspicuous black margins, moreover its posterior margin had a narrow white band. The white rear tip of first dorsa! fin was well evident.
Francis & Stevens (2000) reported that juvenile porbeagles grow linearly and rapidly, 16-20 cm per year. On the basis of this data, considering the 91 cm shark total length, we can hypotestze about its age. So with 68-69 cm total length for the size at birth, our specimen had to be 1 to 17 months old and had to be born February 2000 to early June 2001.
Porbeagle is a quite mobile species, capable to move on long distance in short periods. We can only hypote-size that, if compared to adult specimens, young may have less well-developed temperature control which limits their extension into colder water: probably young age groups don't move very far, while as they get bigger we would expect them to start migrating further (j. D. Stevens, pers. comm.). Therefore it is not possible to know if this young specimen could be born in an area close where it has been captured, or even in the Adriatic Sea, but we can hypotesize that it could be born in Mediterranean waters.
Measurements on body and teeth are presented in tables 1 and 2.
TOT	total length	91.0 cm	CPV	prevenlraf caudal margin	12.5 cm
FOR	fork length	ao.o cm	D1L	first dorsal length	10.5 cm
: PRC	precaudai length	74.2 cm	D1A	first dorsal anterior margin	11.3 cm
PD2	pre-second dorsal length	65.6 cm	01B	first dorsal base	9.2 cm
PDI	pre-first dorsa! length	31.3 cm	D1H	first dorsal height	7.6 cm
HDL	head length	24.1 cm	D2L	second dorsal length	3.4 cm
PCI	prebranchia! length	1 6.7 cm	D2A	second dorsa! anterior margin	2.4 cm
PSP	prespiracular length	J 0.4 cm	D2B	second dorsa! base	1.4 cm
j POI3	preorbital length	4.9 cm	D2H	second dorsal height	1.4 cm
PP1	prepectora! length	21.6 cm	P2I	pelvic length	7.1 cm
PP2	prepelvic length	47.2 cm	P2A	pelvic anterior margin	3.6 cm
PAL	preanal length	63.0 cm	P2B	pelvic base	2.7 cm
PRN	prenarial length	5.4 cm	P2H	pelvic height	1.9 cm
POR	preoral length	1.8 cm	AN L	anal length	3.8cm
FY;	eye length	2.3 cm	ANA	anal anterior margin	2.8 cm
I PI A	pectoral anterior margin	15.3 cm	ANB	anal base	1.7 cm
PI 8	pectoral base	5.1 cm	ANH	anal height	1,4 cm !
1 PI H	pectoral height	11.6 cm	MOW	mouth width	6.3 cm
¡CDM	dorsal caudal margin	19.1 cm	INW	internarial space	3.1 cm
Tab. 1: Measurements of (he young porbeagle Lamna riasus (Bonnaterrc, 1788), caught on July / > 2001 off S. Benedetto del Tronto (Italy, Western Adriatic Sea). Measurements are given in centimetres.
Tab. 1: Mere mladega atlantskega skušohvca Lamna nasus (Bonnaterre, 1788), ujetega IS. julija 2001 v bližini mesta S. Benedetto del Tronto (Italija, zahodni Jadran). Vse mere so v cm.
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Mario Marconi & Alessarclro OF. MADDAIENA: ON THE CAPTURE Of A YOUNG PORBEAGLE, LAMNA NASUS (BONNATtRRC. I ?S8!.....179-184
Tab. 2: Measurements of the teeth of the young porbeagle Lamna nasus (Bonnaterre> 1788), caught on July IS1* 2001 off S. Benedetto del Tronto (Italy, Western Adriatic Sea). Measurements are given in millimetres. Tab. 2: Mere zob mladega atlantskega skušolovca Lamna nasus (Bonnaterre, 1788), ujetega 15. julija 2001 v bližini mesta S. Benedetto del Tronto (Italija, zahodni Jadran). Mere so v mm.
RIGHT UPPER JAW		LEFT UPPER JAW	
1" anterior tooth height (UA1H)	7.85 mm	f anterior tooth height (UAi H)	7.81 mm
2"" anterior tooth height (UA2H)	8.63 mm	TA anterior tooth height (UA2H)	8.21 mm
intermediate tooth height (UIH)	4.24 mm	intermediate tooth height (UIH)	4.22 mm
1M lateral tooth height (UL1H)	6.56 mm	r lateral tooth height (ULIH)	6.61 mm
2™* lateral tooth height (UL2H)	6.86 mm	2"* lateral tooth height (UL2H)	6.80 mm
3"* lateral tooth height (UI.3H)	5.75 mm	3'" lateral tooth height (UL3H)	5.67 mm
4"' lateral looth height (UL4H)	5.27 mm	4'" lateral tooth height (UL4H)	5.19 mm
5,h lateral tooth height (UL5H)	4.63 mm	5lh lateral tooth height (UL5H)	4.67 mm
1M posterior tooth height (UP1H)	3.8! mm	C posterior tooth height (UP1 Hi	3.86 mm
RIGHT LOWER |AW		LEFT LOWER JAW	
T' anterior tooth height (LA1H)	9.88 mm	1" anterior tooth height (LAI H)	9.90 mm
2™' anterior tooth height (I A2H)	10.16 mm	2™' anterior tooth height (LA2H)	10.12 mm
3"1 anterior tooth height (LA2H)	6.79 mm	3"' anterior tooth height (LA2H)	6.80 mm
1s lateral tooth height (LL1H)	6.48 mm	1" lateral tooth height (LL1H)	6.57 mm
2'""' lateral tooth height (LL2H)	6.11 mm	2"" lateral tooth height (LL2H)	6.13 mm
3Mi lateral tooth height (LL3H)	5.64 mm	3* lateral tooth height (LL3H)	5.69 mm
4'" lateral tooth height (I.L4H)	5.01 mm	4"' lateral tooth height (LL4H)	4 97 mm
5"' lateral tooth height (LL5H)	4.41 mm	5'" lateral tooih height (LL5H)	4.43 mm
Figs. 2, 3: Young porbeagle Lamna nasus, caught on July 15"' 2001 off S. Benedetto del Tronto (Italy, Adriatic Sea). (Photo: P. Crescenzi)
SI. 2, 3: Mladi atlantski skušolovec Lamna nasus, ujet 15. julija 2001 v bližini mesta S. Benedetto del Tronto (Italija, Jadransko morje). (Foto: P. Crescenzi)
mako (Isurus oxyrinchus), the bine shark (Prionace CONCLUSIONS	glauca), the sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus), the
great white shark (Carcharodon carcharías) and the por-It is certain that many shark species inhabiting the beagfe. Sharks in general, because of their low repro-Mediterranean Sea were strongly threatened by in- duction rate and late sexual maturity age (see Com-creased fisheries due to inefficient fishery regulation. pagno, 1984), are very sensitive to fishing pressure. This Shark populations are in fast regression due to overfish- situation in the Mediterranean and worldwide has been ing, often of immature individuáis, mainly by longiines denounced by reports of many researchers (see regional such as those used in tuna and swordfish capture, and reports such as those of Capapé, 1989; Buencuerpo et also due to overfishing of their prey. This threat is par- a!., 1998; Soldo & jardas, 2001; De Maddalena & Pis-ticularly evident for large species such as the shortfin citelli, 2001. as well as global works such as Vannuc-
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Mari« Marconi & Ale»»*a«> DE MADDALENA: ON THE CAPTURE OH A YOUNG PORBEAGLE.. i.AMNA NASUS (ÖONNATERRE, r/6»), . ., 179. IM
cini, 1999; Watts, 2001). Unfortunately, institutions re- ing pressure, risking the complete disappearance of sponsible for fishery management still are extremely some of the most important predators of ous marine s|ow in giving the necessary response to increased fish- fauna.
Fig. 4: Upper anterior, intermediate and lateral teeth of the same porbeagle specimen.
(Photo: N. Polini &M. Marconi) SI. 4: Zgornji prednji, vmesni in stranski zobje istega atlantskega skušolovca. (Foto: N. Polini & M. Marconi)
Fig. 5: Lower anterior teeth of the same porbeagle specimen. (Photo: N. Polini & Mario Marconi) SI. 5: Spodnji prednji zobje istega atlantskega skušolovca. (Foto: N. Polini & M. Marconi).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to thank Sergio Ciacoia, Al-bano Bugari and the entire staff of the Museo ittico Augusta Capriotti in San Benedetto del Tronto; Alen Soldo, Joan Barrull, Isabel Mate, Lovrenc Lipej, Antonio Celona. John D. Stevens, Henry F. Mollet, Malcolm P. Francis, Haiold Wes Pratt and Marco Zuffa for their kind
advice. Thanks to Sheila Beatty for her review of the English text. Special thanks to Nazzareno Polini, skillfull naturalist and photographer, who helped us take macro-photographs, and to the angler Piero Crescenzi for having promptly recognized a rare and important specimen of the Adriatic ichthyologies! fauna and donated it to the Museo Ittico A. Capriotti. Finally thanks to the two referees for their suggestions.
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ANNA LES • Ser. hist. nat. 11 2001 ■ 2 (25)
Mark) Marran i & Alnsandro DE MADDAiXNA: 0N THE CAPTURE OE A YOUN'G PCRBEACLE, LAMNA NASUS ¡KONNATÉRRE. I 798),179-•tU
O MLADEM ATLANTSKEM SKUŠOLOVCU LAMNA NASUS (BONNATERRE, 1 788),
UJETEM V ZAHODNEM JADRANU
Mario MARCONI
Museo di Scienze Naturali & Dipart di Biología M.C.A., Universitá degli Studi di Camerino, (T-62032 Camerino, via Camerini 2 and Museo Ittico Augusto Capiiotti, IT-63039 S. Benedefto del Tronío, Banchina Matfizia E-mail: miusnat®carí3serv.unicam.it Aíessandro DE MAGDALENA Banca Dati Italiana Squato Btanco (Itaiian C.reat White Snark Data Bank), IT-2014S Milano, via i.. Ariosto4
E-mai): ademaddalena@tiscalinet.it
POVZETEK
Avtorja pričujočega članka poročata o mladem atlantskem skuiolovcu Lamna nasus (Bonnalerre, 1788), ujetem 15. julija 2001 v srednjem fadranu v bližini italijanskega mesta S. Benedetto del Tronto. Predstavljene so morfome-trične meritve in makrofotogralije zob ujete samice, težke 6,5 kg in dolge 91 cm. V njenem želodcu so našli sardine Sardina pilehardus. Avtorja ocenjujeta, da je bil osebek, ki je postal del zbirke v Museo Ittico Augusto Capriotti v mestu San Benedetto del Tronto (kat. št. 1850), star med 7 in 17 meseci.
Ključne besede: atlantski skušolovec, Lamna nasus, morski psi, razmnoževanje, ladransko morje
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