Molecular identification of hammerhead shark trunks from the southern Gulf of California using multiplex PCR
Shark landings have increased in recent decades due to the demand for shark fins in Asiatic markets and shark meat in locations, such as Hong Kong, China, and Korea. Shark meat is a relatively inexpensive protein source and is consumed by both humans and domesticated animals. Sharks fins are a traditional ingredient in Chinese cuisine and are considered to possess beneficial properties. Moreover, shark fins continue to be viewed as status symbol due to the associated exclusiveness and exoticism of the product and shark fins are judged based on the length, thickness, and texture of their fin needles, or ceratotrichia. Larger sharks do not necessarily possess the most attractive fin needles and a particularly high demand exists for the cartilaginous ceratotrichia of the Sphyrnidae family.
In Mexico, shark fisheries represent an important economic activity. Along the Mexican Pacific, hammerhead sharks comprise up to 30% of elasmobranch catches. The scalloped hammerhead, Sphyrna lewini, and the smooth hammerhead, Sphyrna zygaena, make up the majority of catches for this group. The distributions of these species primarily overlap along the coast of Sinaloa. Although these two species are morphologically distinct as adults (S. lewini has an extra notch in the center of the head), juveniles and shark trunks are difficult to identify in the field and in landings. Since 2014, both S. lewini and S. zygaena have been listed in CITES Appendix II with the specification that their commercial exploitation must not be detrimental to the survival of their populations. Therefore, accurate fishery assessments are necessary for the effective management and conservation of these species and depend on the correct identification of landed specimens.
Keywords: Sphyrna, ITS2, molecular marker, ribosomal DNA, electrophoreses
DOI: https://doi.org/10.30564/jfsr.v2i1.1685
Keywords: Sphyrna, ITS2, molecular marker, ribosomal DNA, electrophoreses
DOI: https://doi.org/10.30564/jfsr.v2i1.1685
