Results on main elasmobranch species captured in the 2022 Northern Spanish Shelf Groundfish Survey

Abstract

This working document presents the results on the most abundant elasmobranch species captured in the 2022 Spanish Groundfish Survey on Northern Spanish shelf. Biomass, spatial distribution and length ranges were analysed for Scyliorhinus canicula (lesser spotted dogfish), Scyliorhinus stellaris (greater spotted dogfish), Galeus melastomus (blackmouth catshark), Galeus atlanticus (atlantic sawtail catshark), Etmopterus spinax (velvet belly), Hexanchus griseus (bluntnose sixgill shark), Raja clavata (thornback ray), Raja montagui (spotted ray), Leucoraja naevus (cuckoo ray) and other scarce elasmobranches. The biomass of most species S. canicula, S. stellaris, H. griseus, R. clavata, R. montagui, L. naevus, increased, whereas it decreased for the species G. melastomus, G. atlanticus, E. spinax and D. profundorum. D. calceus was very scarce, similar to previous year. As usual, only a few specimens of Scymnodon ringens, Dalatias licha and L. circularis were found, as well as the occasional species Galeorhinus galeus, Etmopterus pusillus, Dipturus oxyrinchus, Raja undulata and Raja brachyura. The species Lamna nasus was found for the first time in the historical time series. Signs of recruitment were found for E. spinax in additional deep hauls.