AN MALES Ser. hist. nal. • 10 • 2000 2 (21)
original scientific paper	UDC 597.3(262)
received. 18. 12. 2000
FIRST RECORD OF A TIGER SHARK GALEOCERDO CUVIER (PERON & LESUEUR, 1822) IN THE ITALIAN WATERS
Antonio CELONA
Aquasiudio Research Institute. 1T-98121 Messina, Via Trapani 6
ABSTRACT
The article deals with the only capture of a tiger shark in the Italian waters ever. /4s far as the Mediterranean is concerned, this is only the second record of this species, the first one being the specimen caught off Malaga in 1991. The Italian specimen tvas accidentally caught with a drift-net (locally called "palamitara") used to catch the swordfish. According to the information provided by the fisherman, the tiger shark weighed about 170 kg and was about 3 metres long.
Key words: tiger shark, Caleocerdo cuvier, occurrence, Italy, Mediterranean Sea
PRIMA SEGNALAZIONE DELLO SQUALO TIGRE GALEOCERDO CUVIER (PERON & LESUEUR, 1822) iN ACQUE ITALiANE
SINTESÍ
Nell'articoh vengono torniti i dati inerenti ¡'única cattura dello squalo tigre in arque italiana, che corrísponde alia seconda segnalazione di questa specie nel Mediterráneo (la prima risale al 1991, nelle acqve al largo di Malaga). L'esemplare in questione é stato accidentalmente cattura t o con la "palamitara", rete usata per ia pesca dei pešci spada. In base alie informazioni fornite dal pescatore, l'esemplare di squalo tigre era lungo sui 3 metri e pesa va circa 170 kg.
Parole chiave: squalo tigre, Galeocerdo cuvier, ritrovamento, Italia, niare Mediterráneo
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ANNALES • Ser. hist. rial. 10 • 2000 • 2 (21)
Anionic CEtONA: FIRST RECORD Of A TIGER SHARK GAUOCfRPO CUVWR (PFRON & LEStJtUfi, I82J) IN THE ITALIAN WAT£RS, 207-210
INTRODUCTION
The tiger shark Galeocerdo cuvier (Peron & LeSueur, 1822) (Fig. I) is a cosmopolitan species typical of tropical and temperate sea waters, Jiving in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans and the Red Sea (Fisher, 1978; Fisher & Bianchl, 1984; Compagno, 1984; Stevens & Pyrzakowski, 1988). Its presence is uncertain in the Mediterranean basin (Notarbartolo di Sciara & Bianchi, 1998) and never documented prior to 1991, when a four metre specimen had been captured in the Spanish waters off Malaga. This shark's jaw is still kept in the town's "Aula del Mar" Museum (Pinto de la Rosa, 1994).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
During the study of the sharks captured during the last decades in the Straits of Messina (E Sicily, Italy), it was possible to recover and to study the jaw of a tiger shark Galeocerdo cuvier caught in July 1998 in the coastal waters off Messina (Maregrosso) by Mr. Rosario Bonaffini who stlli keeps the jaw at his home. The jaw is the only preserved and still available part of this shark, as it was sold immediately after its capture (Fig. 3). The measurements were made on the first three teeth of each jaw according to parameters of Molfel ef al (1996), including Randall's ones (1973) and already used for Carcharodon carcbarias but also valid for other selachians (Fig. 2).
Fig. 1; Tiger shark Galeocerdo cuvier (Drawing by A. De Maddalena). SI. 1: Morski tiger Galeocerdo cuvier (Risba: A. De Maddalena).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The specimen was accidentally caught with a driftnet (locally called "palamitara") used to catch the swordfish. Information provided by the fisherman are fragmentary: the declared weight of the shark (that happened to be, according to the fisherman, a female) was about 170 kg, its length about 3 metres. The measurements of the teeth are as follows (Tab. 1):
Tab. 1: Tiger shark's teeth measurements (in cm). See figure 2 for explanation.
Tab. 1: Dolžine zob morskega tigra (v cm). Kratice parametrov se nanašajo na mere na sliki 2.
Fig. 2: The measurements on the first three teeth of each jaw according to parameters of Mollet et al. (1996) (Drawing by A. De Maddalena). SI. 2: Opravljene meritve na prvih treh zobeh v obeh čeljustnicah po referenčnih priporočilih (Mollet et al., 1996) (Risba: A. De Maddalena).
Parameter	1s< tooth	2 nd tooth	3 tooth
UAE1	1.4	1.7	1.9
UAE2	1.6	1.9	2.0
UAEW	2.3	2.4	2.6
UAH	2.4	2.6	2.7
UAW	2.5	2.7	2.8
2 08
AN MALES Ser. hist. nat. 10 2000 • 2 (21)
Antonio CaONiA: FIRST RECORD Of A TIGER SHARK GAliOCtKDO CUVftit (HERON s LESU EUR, I !522) IN THE ITALIAN WATERS, 207-210
Fig. 3: The jaw of a tiger shark Galeocerdo cower caught in July 1998 in the coastal waters off Messina (Photo: A. Celona).
SI. 3: Čeljusti morskega tigra (Caleocerdo cuvier), ujetega julija 1998 v obalnih vodah južno od Messine (Foto: A. Celona).
The above report concerns the only capture of the tiger shark species in the Italian waters ever and only the second record of this particular species in the Mediterranean after the one caught off Malaga in 1991 (Pinto de la Rosa, 1994),
The true reason for the presence of ¡his species in the Mediterranean Sea is still unknown.
One of the hypotheses is that the specimen has voluntarily entered the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal or the Straits of Gibraltar, as lias already been the case with many other extra-Mediterranean species in the last thirty years (the phenomenon known as "tropicaiisation" of the Mediterranean) due to the general heating of the seas. The species should therefore be carefully monitored owing to the impact it might have on the highest levels of the alimentary chain in this basin.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author wishes to thank Alessandro De Mad-dalena and Antonio Di Natale for the critical overhaul, as well as to loan Barruil and Isabel Mate for their con-tribut ion.
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ANNALES • Ser. hist. nat. ■ 10 • 2000 • 2 (21)
.Antonio CRONA: fiRST MCOKP OF A TIGER SHARK G/UFOCFROOCUViCH ¿PERQN & liSUEUR, |«22) IN THE ITALIAN WATERS, 207-210
PKVI ZAPiS O POJAVLJANJU MORSKEGA TIGRA, CALEOCERDO CUVIER (PERON & LESUEUR, 1822) V ITALIJANSKIH VODAH
Antonio CELO NA
Aquastudio Research Institute, IT-98121 Messina, Via Trapani b
POVZETEK
Avtor obravnava prvo pojavljanje morskega tigra Caleocerdo cuvier v italijanskih vodah. Morski tiger je bi! ujet julija 1998 v obalnih vodah južno od Messine (Maregrosso), in sicer v posebno mrežo za mer a rice (Xiphias giadius), ki ji domačini pravijo "palamitara". Po nepopolnih podatkih ribiča naj bi morski tiger meril okoli 3 metre in tehtal približno 170 kg. Ribič ga je prodal na ribjem trgu, sam pa zase zadržal preparat njegovega žrela. Avtor si je žrelo natančno ogledal in na njem opravil morfometrične meritve. Gre za prvi podatek o pojavljanju morskeg3 tigra v italijanskih vodah in sploh šele za drugi podatek o tej vrsti v Sredozemskem morju. Prvič so ga ujeli v vodah blizu Malage v južni Španiji. Avtor si zastavlja vprašanje, ali je pojavljanje morskega psa te vrste morda treba vnovič pripisati tako imenovanemu procesu "tropikalizacije", ko so se v zadnjih tridesetih letih zaradi temperaturnih sprememb v Sredozemskem morju pojavile mnoge tropske vrste rib.
Ključne besede: morski tiger, Caleocerdo cuvier, pojavljanje, Italija, Sredozemsko morje
REFERENCES
Compagno, L. J. V. (1984): FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 4: Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated Catalogue of Shark Species Known to Date. Part I. Hex-anchiformes to Lamniiormcs. Rome, 655 pp. Fisher, W. fed.) (1978): FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Western Central Atlantic (Fishing area 31). Vol. V. FAO, Rome. Fisher, W. & G. Bianchi (eds.) (t984): FAO species identification sheets for purposes. Western Indian Ocean (Fishing area 51). Vol. V. Prepared and printed with the support of the Danish International Development Agency. FAO, Rome.
Mollet, H. F., G. M. Cailliet, A. P. Klimley, D. A. Ebert, A. D. Testi & L. JL V. Compagno (1996): A review of length validation methods and protocols to measure large white sharks, in: Klimley, A. P. & D. G. Ainley (eds.t: Great white sharks: the biology oí Csrcharodon carcharías. Academic Press, San Diego, 517 pp. Notarbartolo di Sciara, G. & I. Biancbi (1998): Guida degll squali e delle razze del Mediterráneo, Muzzio Ed., Milano.
Pinto de la Rosa, F. }. (1994): Tiburones del Mar de Al-
boran. Servicio publicaciones Centro de Ediciones de la Diputación de Malaga (CEDMA).
Randall, J. E. (1973): Size of the great white shark (Carcharodon). Science, 181, 169-17. Stevens, ¡. D. & T. f'yr/aWski (1988): Squali. Rizzolt Ed., Milano.
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