Two species of genus Squatina were recorded off the coast of Senegal and Squatina oculata is the most commonly caught in the area. Adult males and females studied were over 820 and 890 mm total length (TL) respectively, with the largest male and the largest female recorded being 1450 mm and 1570 mm and weighed 37 kg and 39 kg respectively. The females were significantly heavier than the males. Size at birth was between 226 and 266 mm and weight at birth between 129 and 159 g. Weight of ripe oocytes ranged from 87·65 to 117·60 g (mean SD 101·73±&;8·65). Gestation lasts one year minimum. Squatina oculata is a lecithotrophic species. Counts of ripe oocytes, eggs, embryos and fully developed foetuses showed that ovarian fecundity is significantly higher than uterine fecundity. The former ranged from 8 to 20 (mean SD 12·04±5·80), the latter from 3 to 8 (mean SD 6·22±3·41). There is no relationship between size and the categories of fecundity. Adult males and females were more common than the other categories of specimens landed. Among adults, females were more numerous than males, mainly gravid specimens.

Summary The diet of the milk shark, Rhizoprionodon acutus, from the Senegalese coast (12°30′N–14°45′N) was investigated in 3600 specimens with total lengths ranging from 44 to 113 cm for females and from 45 to 110 cm for males. Conducted from May 2010 to April 2011, the study revealed that of the 3600 stomachs examined, 577 contained food (16.03%). Cumulative prey diversity curves reached a stable level at 175 stomachs and thus the sample size was large enough to describe the overall milk shark diet. Relevant differences in the diet were found between sexes, maturity stages, sampling seasons and locations. The milk shark diet was composed of teleosts, crustaceans, mollucs, nematodes, annelids, and unidentified invertebrates. R. acutus seemed to have a preference for teleosts (98.75% in terms of IRI). The trophic level of milk shark calculated in this study was 4.2.

The starfish Anseropoda placenta (Pennant) is abundant in the gravelly sands of the Bay of Brest (Finistere, France). The size, distribution and density of this animal were evaluated along a transect perpendicular to the River Aulne in the southern part of the Bay. The spawning phases, the recruitment and growth processes were defined. When the entire population was considered, three plurimodal year classes were visible from the length frequency histograms. Year-class segregations were observed. Their density varied in space and time in a manner which suggests a pattern of migration from the southern part of the transect towards the northern part. Juveniles were recruited mainly during the autumn on the gravelly bottom of the southern shallow part. By late winter, they had migrated to the deeper parts of the channel. Feeding preferences do not seem to be the main factor controlling these migrations which are discussed in relation to environmental factors and the intra- and inter-specific competition.