Sharks
Sharks, with skates and rays, make up the subclass Elasmobranchii of the class Chondrichthyes, cartilagineous fishes. They represent less than 5% of the sea`s fish. Sharks are an ancient class of fish that first appeared about 400 million years ago.
They have remained virtually unchanged for the past 70 million years and still comprise a dominant group. Their success is largely due to the original genetic traits they inherited from their more primitive ancestors. This gives sharks some amazing adaptations allowing them to occupy some varied ecological niches.
Now, there are about 370 species of sharks described, and up to 80 are endangered
Of 8 orders, 5 are found in the Mediterranean Sea. The most highly represented is the Carcharhiniformes or the ground sharks which include the blacktip reef sharks, blue sharks, and hammerhead.
Elasmobranchs, are, however, generally considered commercial species, except for the basking shark (Cetorinhus maximus) and the white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) that are fully protected from all fisheries (Regulations (EC) 40/2007, (EC) 41/2007).
Other species such as Hexandus griseus, Alopiidae, Rhincodon typus, Carcharhinidae, Sphyrnidae, Isuridae, and Lamnida are protected from driftnetting (see Regulation (EC) 894/97 amended). For other species of Elasmobranchs quotas are set in some northern European fishing areas (see Regulation (EC) 43/2009).
For further information on Sharks in the Mediterranean see:
Ferretti, F., Myers, R.A., Serena, F., Lotze, H.K. 2008. Loss of large predatory sharks from the Mediterranean Sea. Conservation Biology 22(4):952-964.
They have remained virtually unchanged for the past 70 million years and still comprise a dominant group. Their success is largely due to the original genetic traits they inherited from their more primitive ancestors. This gives sharks some amazing adaptations allowing them to occupy some varied ecological niches.
Now, there are about 370 species of sharks described, and up to 80 are endangered
Of 8 orders, 5 are found in the Mediterranean Sea. The most highly represented is the Carcharhiniformes or the ground sharks which include the blacktip reef sharks, blue sharks, and hammerhead.
Elasmobranchs, are, however, generally considered commercial species, except for the basking shark (Cetorinhus maximus) and the white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) that are fully protected from all fisheries (Regulations (EC) 40/2007, (EC) 41/2007).
Other species such as Hexandus griseus, Alopiidae, Rhincodon typus, Carcharhinidae, Sphyrnidae, Isuridae, and Lamnida are protected from driftnetting (see Regulation (EC) 894/97 amended). For other species of Elasmobranchs quotas are set in some northern European fishing areas (see Regulation (EC) 43/2009).
For further information on Sharks in the Mediterranean see:
Ferretti, F., Myers, R.A., Serena, F., Lotze, H.K. 2008. Loss of large predatory sharks from the Mediterranean Sea. Conservation Biology 22(4):952-964.
