Updated checklist of the extant Chondrichthyes within the Exclusive Economic Zone of Mexico

Abstract

The checklist presented in this study includes the latest taxonomic and systematic modifications and updates (early 2018) for the Chondrichthyes that inhabit the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Mexico. The list is based on a literature review of field-specific books, scientific publications and database information from collections and museums worldwide available online such as, the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS), Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), Encyclopedia of Life (EOL), iSpecies, FishBase and the National Biodiversity Information System (SNIB–CONABIO). Information was cross-referenced with digital taxonomic systems such as the Catalog of Fishes of the California Academy of Sciences, the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), and the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). There is a total of two subclasses two divisions, 13 orders, 44 families, 84 genera, and 217 species that represent approximately 18% of all living and described species of chondrichthyans worldwide. For the Mexican Pacific and the Gulf of California, 92 species of chondrichthyans are listed compared to 94 species for the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Additionally, 31 species listed occur on both coasts of Mexico. The species richness of the Mexican chondrichthyans will surely continue to increase, due to the exploration of deep-water fishing areas in the EEZ.

Updated taxonomic list and conservation status of chondrichthyans from the exclusive economic zone of Venezuela, with first generic and specific records

“…Although the batoids are the largest group in the Chondrichthyes (Weigmann , ), sharks comprise a larger number of species in the VEEZ. Similar results were previously reported in the available national and international literature (Cervigón & Alcalá, ; Ehemann et al, ; Rosa & Gadig, ; Tavares & López, ). A larger research effort and economic investment with respect to sharks due to their commercial importance might explain this difference (Isasi‐Catalá , ).…”

“…10% of the valid Chondrichthyes species of the world (Weigmann, , ). The chondrichthyan diversity of the area can be considered among the top four Latin American countries after Mexico with 219 species (Ehemann et al, ; Wakida‐Kusunoki et al, ), Brazil with 165 species (Rosa & Gadig, ) and Colombia with 142 species (García, ; Mejía‐Falla & Navia, ). Followed by Peru with 115 (Cornejo et al, ), Ecuador with 107 (Jiménez‐Prado & Béarez, ), Uruguay with 100 (Domingo et al, ), Costa Rica with 99 (Busing & López, ; Espinoza et al, ) and Chile with 96 species (Lamilla, ).…”

Squalus shiraii sp. nov. (Squaliformes, Squalidae), a new species of dogfish shark from Japan with regional nominal species revisited

“…morphological and molecular data) have supported current and constant changes in the taxonomy of S. mitsukurii as seen in Viana et al (2017b), Pfleger et al (2018), Daly-Engel et al (2018) and Dolganov (2019). Thus, reporting occurrences of this species elsewhere, including Nazca and Sala y Gomez seamounts, Chile, India, Mexico (east coast), Costa Rica, Madagascar, Colombia and Uruguay in Parin (1987), Dyer and Westneat (2010), Akhilesh et al (2014), Del Moral-Flores et al (2015, Ehemann et al (2018), Espinoza et al (2018), Fricke et al (2018), Mejía-Falla andNavia (2019) and Nión and Meneses (2016) require taxonomic clarification. It is more likely that it has been confused either with a variety of the latest Squalus species that were described or resurrected in the past 10 years or may represent undescribed species with a possible degree of regionalism/endemism.…”

First confirmed record of the occurrence of the lesser devil ray, Mobula hypostoma (Elasmobranchii, Mobulidae), in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico

“…The Gulf of Mexico records are restricted to the north, being those of the present contribution the first record confirming its presence in the southwest of the Gulf of Mexico. In Mexico there are informal records of the species and its presence has been indicated based on regional faunal lists (Del Moral-Flores et al, 2015;Ehemann et al, 2018); this is the first record of the species in Mexican waters based on and supported by museum material.…”