Integrating Literature, Biodiversity Databases, and Citizen-Science to Reconstruct the Checklist of Chondrichthyans in Cyprus (Eastern Mediterranean Sea)

Abstract

Chondrichthyans are apex predators influencing the trophic web through a top-down process thus their depletion will affect the remaining biota. Notwithstanding that, research on chondrichthyans is sparse or data-limited in several biogeographic areas worldwide, including the Levantine Sea. We revise and update the knowledge of chondrichthyans in Cyprus based on a bibliographic review that gains information retrieved from peer-reviewed and grey literature, Global Biodiversity Information Facility (135 records of at least 18 species) and the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (65 records of at least14 species), and the citizen science project Mediterranean Elasmobranchs Citizen Observations (117 records per 23 species). Our updated checklist reports 60 species that account for about 70% of the Mediterranean chondrichthyan biota. The list includes 15 more species than the previous checklist and our study reports three new species for Cyprus waters, namely the blackmouth catshark Dalatias licha, the round fantail stingray Taeniurops grabatus, and the sawback angelshark Squatina aculeata. Our research highlights the need for conservation measures and more studies regarding the highly threatened blackchin guitarfish Glaucostegus cemiculus and the devil ray Mobula mobular, and stresses the importance for training a new generation of observers to strengthen the knowledge and conservation of elasmobranchs in the region.

Prvi popis hrskavičnjača Crne Gore temeljen na kombinaciji monitoringa gospodarskog ribolova i građanske znanosti

“…In order to accurately complete the checklist, the available scientific literature and open access databases were also accessed, following the methodology used in Giovos et al (2021) and Giovos et al (2022). The Google Scholar search engine was used to find publications dealing with chondrichthyans in Montenegrin waters in order to find records of additional species belonging to this group.…”

Diversity and distribution of elasmobranchs in the coastal waters of Cyprus: using bycatch data to inform management and conservation

“…A checklist of 60 chondrichthyans was recently reported by a study which reviewed available data, studies and citizen science reports for the island of Cyprus (Giovos et al, 2021b). A published record of Hexanchus nakamurai (Teng 1962, bigeyed sixgill shark, now H. vitulus, Springer andWaller 1969, Atlantic sixgill shark) has since been retracted (Bengil et al, 2021), while a Cetorhinus maximus (Gunnerus 1785, basking shark) previously reported for Northern Cyprus (Kabasakal, 2013), and for the whole island (Giovos et al, 2021b) was based on a newspaper report which was later found to have been inaccurate, instead being Alopias superciliosus (Lowe 1841, bigeye thresher shark, Hakan Kabasakal pers. comm.).…”