engleski

Status of large shark species in the eastern Adriatic

Several large shark species are reported as inhabitants of the Adriatic Sea. Largest family is Lamnidae, which is represented with 3 species in the Adriatic: great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias, shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrinchus, and porbeagle shark, Lamna nasus. Hammerhead sharks, Sphyrnidae, are represented by two large species: smooth hammerhead, Sphyrna zygaena, and smalleye hammerhead, Sphyrna tudes. Only member of Cetorhinidae family, Cetorhinus maximus, is also the largest fish in the Adriatic, as well as in the Mediterranean. Worldwide, those large sharks, which are apex predator of marine ecosystem and therefore considered as K – species, are highly vulnerable to overfishing, both as target species or bycatch. In the Mediterranean their decline has already been observed and their status characterized as endangered. Therefore, some of those species are enlisted as protected species for whole Mediterranean area. Presently, in the Adriatic these species have been considered as rare or very rare, although, previously, great white and mako shark were considered as relatively common species of this area. Based on Large Sharks Monitoring, conducted by the Institute of the Oceanography and Fisheries – Split, this paper present their records in the Eastern Adriatic since 19th century, including newest records, and deals with possible causes of their decline in the Mediterranean, as well as in the Adriatic.

status; sharks; Adriatic

ISBN 9985-4-0396-7