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New biological data on Raja brachyura (Chondrichthyes, Rajidae) from around Asinara Island (NW Sardinia, Western Mediterranean)

2007; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 74; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/11250000600831600

1748-5851

Barbara Catalano, Massimo Dalu, Umberto Scacco, Matteo Vacchi,

Turtle Biology and Conservation

A monitoring survey on the artisanal fishery of the Asinara Island (NW Sardinia, Western Mediterranean) provided a unique opportunity to improve our biological knowledge of the blonde ray (Raja brachyura), a skate species which is rare along Mediterranean coasts. A total of 225 specimens of R. brachyura were sampled in spring 2002 and analysed in order to characterise the species in terms of reproduction, feeding habits and structure of the local population. The results enabled us to gain an insight into the ecological features of the blonde ray, including its predation on Gymnammodytes cicerellus, the Mediterranean sand‐eel, a small‐size fish, typical of sandy‐gravel sea beds of the Mediterranean shelf.