Conservation and management measures for large mobile sharks are more effective when information on migratory patterns and environmental cues are known. In the absence of long-term monitoring data or tracking programs, available information is based on occasional catch/sighting records from a variety of sources, usually constrained in space and time. This study demonstrates the utility of developing temporally explicit habitat suitability (HS) models to infer the migratory pattern of large mobile sharks. Bimonthly presence-only HS models (MaxEnt algorithm) were developed for the broadnose sevengill shark Notorynchus cepedianus in the South-west Atlantic based on an exhaustive collection of data records, and ecologically relevant predictors. The six final models showed good predictive power, and were evaluated with independent data. A migratory pattern characterised by two main displacements was inferred from the models. We show that HS models can be applied as a no-cost desk-based alternative to infer broad-scale movements of large mobile sharks. This methodology is relevant as an important first step toward informing management plans in data-poor and financially limited regions, or under urgent conservation need.

-Argentina is one of the countries with the largest overall landings of skates and rays (24 000 t/year). As a consequence of high levels of exploitation and deficient management tools, many of these species are threatened with extinction. In the bottom trawl fishery of San Matías Gulf, northern Patagonia, skates and rays are caught as bycatch and all have historically been recorded in the fishery logbook under the category "rays". Therefore, species composition and their characteristics were unknown. The aim of this study was to characterize the commercial exploitation of batoid species in this fishery. Our results indicate that commercial landings include nine species of skate, six of which are common. Among these, Atlantoraja platana, Sympterygia bonapartii and Dipturus chilensis were considered the main species of this fishery. Their combined relative abundance and weight made up about 90% of the batoid catch throughout the year. Sexual segregation was detected in four species in which individuals of one sex dominated commercial landings. The commercial fraction was composed of individuals with a wide range of sizes. Immature individuals could represent 90% of the individuals landed for some species. At present, lack of data prevents us from quantifying the impact that this fishery is having on these species, but our findings highlight the importance of conducting research surveys to assess the abundance and geographic extent of these populations. The information presented here provided the basis for the proposal of a new logbook format incorporating species-level identification. The new logbook was implemented on 1 January 2010.

Abstract:The San Matías Gulf (SMG; 41°-42° S; 64°-65° W) is the largest gulf in Northern Patagonia, Argentina. Up to date, the chondrichthyan fauna of this area has not been reported. Therefore, the aim of this work is to provide a list with species presence and biological characteristics of the chondrichthyans recorded in SMG during the last 30 years. A total of 13 sharks distributed in 11 families, 19 skates and rays distributed in six families, and one holocephalan have been so far recorded in SMG. From the zoogeographical point of view, this chondrichthyan fauna is a mixed assemblage of species typically found in the Argentinean and Magellanean Provinces. The holocephalan Callorhinchus callorynchus is the most landed chondricthyan of the local fishery. With it, five sharks and seven skates are also exploited.Key words: Holocephali, Elasmobrachii, Batoidea, Southwest Atlantic, Patagonia.Resumen: Los condrictios del Golfo San Matías, Patagonia, Argentina. El Golfo San Matías (SMG; 41°-42° S -64°-65° O) se encuentra ubicado en el norte de la Patagonia, Argentina. Hasta la fecha no se cuentan con reportes de la fauna de condrictios de esta zona. Por lo tanto, el objetivo de este trabajo es proporcionar una lista de la presencia y las características biológicas de los condrictios registrados en el SMG durante los últimos 30 años. Un total de 13 tiburones distribuidos en 11 familias, 19 batoideos distribuidos en seis familias y un holocefalo han sido reportados para la zona. Desde el punto de vista zoogeográfico, el SMG presenta un ensamble de especies pertenecientes a las Provincias Magallánica y Argentina. El holocefalo Callorhinchus callorynchus es el condrictio más desembarcado de la pesquería local. Con menor importancia son explotadas comercialmente, cinco especies de tiburones y siete de rayas.

The Electric ray Discopyge tschudii is distributed in the Southwest Atlantic from southern Brazil to southern Argentina and in the Southeast Pacific from Peru to southern Chile. The main threat to this species is fishing. Discopyge tschudii is noncommercial and individuals caught are discarded on board. The present study analyzes the distribution and the morphological and reproductive characteristics of this ray in San Matías Gulf (SMG), Argentina. A total of 1087 individuals were analyzed. The species presented an aggregate distribution, with the main concentrations in the northern and eastern areas of SMG, at depths below 100 m. Males ranged from 9 to 43 cm and females from 11 to 38 cm. The species presented sexual dimorphism. Males were larger and heavier than females and also matured at larger sizes. Size at 50% of maturity was estimated at 30 cm for males and 21 cm for females. A total of 199 embryos were sampled and the proportion of sexes showed no significant differences from the expected 1:1. The number of embryos per female varied from 1 to 12. The most frequent values were 2 and 5. Length at birth was estimated at 82.17 ± 3.87 mm. Based on our findings, we hypothesize that the electric ray D. tschudii completes its reproductive cycle in SMG.