Parturition time for the Blacktip shark, Carcharhinus limbatus (Carcharhiniformes: Carcharhinidae), in Southwestern Atlantic

Abstract The determination of the period of parturition and identification of nursery areas are fundamental for the management and conservation of a fishing resource. Through combination of monthly abundance, length measurements, and development time of embryos we inferred about parturition time of the Blacktip sharks, Carcharhinus limbatus, from Southwestern Atlantic. Specimens of C. limbatus were caught from 2002 and 2008 by artisanal fleets from three different locations along the Brazilian coast using gillnets (mesh width ranging between 30 and 120 mm between opposite knots and operating from 9 to 120 m in depth), handlines (19 to 140 m depth) and longlines (6 to 90 m depth). Through a comparative analysis of fisheries landing data collected, we have verified neonatal (< 90 cm) catch peaks at specific times of the year in different locations and, matching with birth prediction of embryos, propose that C. limbatuspresents a well-defined parturition time in late spring-early summer in Southwestern Atlantic. Moreover, we indicate supposed nursery grounds for the species along the Brazilian coast. This information will be crucial for stock assessments of the species and may serve as a basis for determining fisheries management measures.