Nascimento da Raia-viola, Zapteryx brevirostris (Müller & Henle) (Chondrichthyes, Rhinobatidae), em cativeiro

Abstract

Um exemplar fêmea de Zapteryx brevirostris foi capturada na Ilha Queimada Grande, Itanhaém, São Paulo em 19/II/2002, e transportada para o cativeiro do Núcleo de Pesquisa e Estudo em Chondrichthyes (NUPEC). Em 21/II/2002, a fêmea pariu seis filhotes (três machos e três fêmeas). Este é o primeiro registro de nascimento de Z. brevirostris em cativeiro.

Evidence of tide pool use by a viviparous elasmobranch as a parturition site

“…Even so, there was only one record of a single juvenile of the smooth butterfly ray, Gymnura micrura (Bloch et Schneider, 1801), in eight years of monitoring in an environment influenced by macrotidal (Nunes et al 2011). The previous study has reported birth in a captive Z. brevirostris, with newborns with a similar body length (Gonzalez 2004) to what we inferred here. Yet, the stay-still behaviour observed in the present report was also described in neonates of this species (Gonzalez 2004), leading us to believe that the animals we observed here were also likely to be neonates.…”

“…The previous study has reported birth in a captive Z. brevirostris, with newborns with a similar body length (Gonzalez 2004) to what we inferred here. Yet, the stay-still behaviour observed in the present report was also described in neonates of this species (Gonzalez 2004), leading us to believe that the animals we observed here were also likely to be neonates. Also, the date of observation was compatible with the period of birth described for the species in the region of south-eastern Brazil (birth in winter) (Batista 1991), another strong evidence that birth occurred spontaneously.…”

First observations on captive hatching and incubation period of the yellow‐nose skate Dipturus chilensis (Rajiformes: Rajidae), from the South‐Eastern Pacific Ocean

“…In South America, direct observations on incubation period and L 0 of batoids have been reported only in Sympterygia acuta Garman 1877, S. bonapartii Müller & Henle 1841, and Zapteryx brevirostris (Müller & Henle 1841) (Gonzalez, ; Jañez & Sueiro, ; Oddone & Vooren, ). A number of authors have provided estimates but not empirical data of these and other life‐history traits of D. chilensis (Licandeo & Cerna, ; Licandeo et al, ).…”

Reprodution of the Cownose ray, Rhinoptera bonasus Mitchill, 1815 (Elasmobranchii, Rhinopteridae), in captivity and newborn care

“…The first successful reports of ray reproduction [Uchida et al, 1990, with Aetobatus narinari (Euphrasen, 1790); Throson et al, 1983, with Potamotrygon motoro (Müller and Henle, 1841); and Luer and Gilbert, 1985, with Raja eglanteria (Bosch, 1800)] showed good prospects for the development of new techniques. In Brazil there are two cases of elasmobranches born in captivity, but the females were pregnant when captured in nature, which does not characterize ex situ reproduction (Gonzalez, 2004). This is the first ex situ reproduction case for Rhinoptera bonasus, according to the bibliography and there are no reports of elasmobranch reproduction in captivity in Brazil.…”

“…According to Gonzalez (2004), 47 species of 13 families of sharks, and 31 species of nine families of rays, were born in captivity, with only three registers for the Rhinobatidae family: Rhinobatos lentiginosus. The specimens were born in aquariums, marine parks and other institutions where captive elasmobranches are studied.…”