Seahorses (Hippocampus spp.) are globally threatened by overexploitation and habitat destruction; they are also regarded as susceptible to heavy exploitation due to some of their life-history traits. From an economic perspective, they are fishes with high monetary value and marketability. Seahorses are now listed in Appendix II of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), to ensure that the international trade is not detrimental to the survival of wild populations; the effectiveness evaluation of these international controls needs comparable monitoring data, including evaluation of spatial and temporal trends. This study assesses the seahorse trade in Brazil, aiming to detect trends in catch levels, volumes and prices. Our main findings were: the dried trade was unregulated, without formal records, and primarily domestic, although records of unreported exports existed; it was primarily sustained by incidental captures in trawl nets. The live seahorse trade was mainly destined for exports, and regulated through national quotas. Between 2002 and 2009, mean prices for dried seahorses ranged from US$1.06 ± 0.46 (level 1 traders) to US$2.78 ± 0.68 (end-sellers) each, while mean prices for each live seahorse traded on the domestic market (

From a conservationist perspective, seahorses are threatened fishes. Concomitantly, from a socioeconomic perspective, they represent a source of income to many fishing communities in developing countries. An integration between these two views requires, among other things, the recognition that seahorse fishers have knowledge and abilities that can assist the implementation of conservation strategies and of management plans for seahorses and their habitats. This paper documents the knowledge held by Brazilian fishers on the biology and ecology of the longsnout seahorse Hippocampus reidi. Its aims were to explore collaborative approaches to seahorse conservation and management in Brazil; to assess fishers' perception of seahorse biology and ecology, in the context evaluating potential management options; to increase fishers' involvement with seahorse conservation in Brazil. Data were obtained through questionnaires and interviews made during field surveys conducted in fishing villages located in the States of Piauí, Ceará, Paraíba, Maranhão, Pernambuco and Pará. We consider the following aspects as positive for the conservation of seahorses and their habitats in Brazil: fishers were willing to dialogue with researchers; although captures and/or trade of brooding seahorses occurred, most interviewees recognized the importance of reproduction to the maintenance of seahorses in the wild (and therefore of their source of income), and expressed concern over population declines; fishers associated the presence of a ventral pouch with reproduction in seahorses (regardless of them knowing which sex bears the pouch), and this may facilitate the construction of collaborative management options designed to eliminate captures of brooding specimens; fishers recognized microhabitats of importance to the maintenance of seahorse wild populations; fishers who kept seahorses in captivity tended to recognize the condtions as poor, and as being a cause of seahorse mortality.

Abstract:The mangrove vegetation along the margins of estuaries is an important habitat for fish, serving as feeding, shelter and nursery zones. The present work describes the fish fauna associated to mangrove roots at the Pacoti River estuary. A total of ten visual censuses of 90 minutes each were conducted, yielding the number of 671 fish counted, with an average of 0.74 counts/minute. The fishes were identified pertaining to 22 species from 18 different families. All the studied species are originally marine, although the samples were mainly carried out during the rainy season. Gerreidae and Lutjanidae were the more representative families. The species Lutjanus alexandrei, Lutjanus jocu and Bathygobius soporator were present in all censuses and the first two were also the most abundant, with 48 and 17% of the total counts, respectively. Taking into account size estimations of the fish, it was verified that mangrove roots are inhabited mainly by juveniles of both species, indicating the use of this habitat as a nursery area. However, in the least complex sampling site, specimens of genus Lutjanus were sought in higher quantities, comprinsing all size classes, thus suggesting the abundance of roots in Pacoti River might not influence the abundance of sheltered fishes. Another important observation is that almost 70% of the species present in the mangrove roots are typical of reef habitats, indicating the existence of strong connections between these two ecosystems. The results emphasize the importance of this habitat for ichthyofauna conservation to coastal areas. In addition, studies regarding to fish recruitment, reproductive and trophic patterns are needed, especially to those two main important species described herein. Resumo: Margens de estuários com a vegetação de manguezal formam um importante hábitat para peixes, pois são zonas de alimentação, abrigo e berçário. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo caracterizar a ictiofauna associada às raízes de mangue do estuário do Rio Pacoti (CE). Foram realizados 10 censos visuais com duração de 90 minutos cada. Foram feitas 671 avistagens, com densidade média de 0,74 avistagens/minuto. Os indivíduos pertencem a 22 espécies e 18 famílias. Todas as espécies registradas são de origem marinha, apesar das amostragens serem realizadas principalmente no período chuvoso. As famílias que apresentaram um maior número de espécies foram Gerreidae e Lutjanidae. As espécies que apresentaram maior frequência de ocorrência foram Lutjanus alexandrei, Lutjanus jocu e Bathygobius soporator, estando presentes em todos os censos. As duas espécies mais abundantes foram L. alexandrei (48%) e L. jocu (17%). Levando-se em consideração as estimativas de tamanho destas espécies, foi verificado que as raízes de mangue são habitadas principalmente por indivíduos jovens de ambas as espécies, o que leva a supor que estas utilizam tal habitat como área de berçário. Contudo, na estação de coleta com menor complexidade estrutural foi avistado o maior número de indivíduos do gênero Lutjanus, em p...

The mangrove crab (Ucides cordatus) is a valuable fishery resource, overfished along the Brazilian coast. This study aimed to obtain bioecological data on this crab along the coast of the State of Amapá. Six bimonthly samplings were conducted between December 2008 and January 2010. Transects were used to estimate the density (burrows m -2 ) and population abundance (individuals m -2 ). All the animals were subjected to biometrics, with females being classified according to their stage of gonadal maturation. The mean density (1.09 burrows m ). A razão sexual foi de 1,38M:1F, mostrando diferença significativa entre a proporção de sexos. Os indivíduos apresentaram dimorfometria sexual, com medidas lineares significativamente superiores nos machos. Os animais coletados também apresentaram maior comprimento e largura de cefalotórax (CC e LC), quando comparados aos caranguejos estudados em outros estados brasileiros. Houve relação tanto entre LC e CC, como entre peso individual (PI) e LC para machos (R 2 = 0,83 e 0,90) e fêmeas (R 2 = 0,79 e 0,84). O crescimento foi alométrico negativo (menor crescimento de CC em relação à LC) para ambos os sexos. A maior frequência de fêmeas ovígeras (78%) e no estágio IV de maturação (38%) pertenciam à classe de tamanho de LC 59,8 -67,5 mm. O maior pico de fêmeas maduras ocorreu nos meses de maio e agosto, mostrando um período reprodutivo diferente de outros estados do Brasil. PALAVRAS CHAVES: Estado do Amapá, dinâmica reprodutiva, estrutura populacional, recurso pesqueiro.

Brotula barbata is recorded for the first time from Ceará, northeastern Brazil. The species was previously known in the western Atlantic from North Carolina to southeastern Brazil, but there are some gaps between these regions. A single specimen was collected from a traditional line fishing fleet operating in the Mucuripe Sea, Ceará, during August 2007. We noticed a meristic difference between the specimen examined and the information from the literature. However this difference did not make the identification difficult. The new record of B. barbata fills geographic distribution gaps of this species in the western Atlantic.

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