Status and recorded of sharks and rays in the Bay of Bengal of Bangladesh Region

Bikram Jit Roy, Nripendra Kumar Singha, Md. Gaziur Rhaman and A. H. M. Hasan Ali

Abstract
The study was conducted during April, 2006 to March, 2014 on the status of shark fishery (shark and ray) resources in the Bay of Bengal of Bangladesh region; data were collected from Fishery ghat fish landing center, Chittagong and BFDC fish harbor, Cox's Bazar. A total 11 species of sharks belonging to 3 families (Carcharhinidae, 8 spp; Sphyrnidae, 2 spp; and Hemiscyllidae, 1 sp) and 24 species of rays belonging to 7 families (Dasyatidae, 14 spp; Rhinobatidae, 2 spp; Rhynchobatidae, 1 sp; Gymnuridae 1 sp; Myliobatidae; 2 spp; Rhinopteridae, 2 spp; and Mobulidae, 2 sp) were recorded. The elasmobranch species, such as sharks were grey sharp nose shark (Rhizoprionodon oligolinx Springer, 1964), graceful shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchoides Whitley, 1934), bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas Valenciennes in Müller and Henle, 1839), black tip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus Quoy and Gaimard, 1824), soft tail shark (Carcharhinus sorrah Valenciennes in Müller and Henle, 1839), milk shark (Rhizoprionodon acutus Rupell, 1837), spade nose shark (Scoliodon laticaudus Cuvier, 1829), tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier Peron and LeSueur in LeSueur, 1822), scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini (E. Griffith & C. H. Smith, 1834)), great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran Ruppell, 1837) and slender bamboo shark (Chiloscyllum indicum Gmelin, 1789). And the ray's species were pink whip ray (Himantura fai Jordan and Seale, 1906), tube mouth whip ray (Himantura lobistoma Manjaji-Matsumoto & Last, 2006), leopard whip ray (Himantura undulata Bleeker, 1852), white spotted whip ray (Himantura gerrardi Person and Lesucur, 1822), reticulate whip ray (Himantura uarnak Forsskal, 1775), brown whip ray (Himantura uarnacoides Bleeker, 1852), scaly whip ray (Himantura imbricata Bloch and Schneider, 1801), dwarf whip ray (Himantura walga Müller and Henle, 1841), Chinese sting ray (Dasyatis sinensis Steindachner, 1892), sharp nose sting ray (Dasyatis zugei Müller and Henle, 1841), blue spotted sting ray (Dasyatis kuhlii Müller and Henle, 1841), banana leaf-tail ray (Pastinachus sephen Forsskal, 1775), blotched fantail ray (Taeniura meyeni Müller and Henle, 1841), porcupine ray (Urogymnus asperrimus Bloch and Schneider, 1801), giant shovelnose ray (Rhinobatos typus Bennett, 1830), club nose guitar fish (Rhinobatos thouin Anonymous in Lacepede, 1798), bowmouth guitar fish (Rhina ancylostoma Bloch and Schneider, 1801), Japanese butterfly ray (Gymnura japonica Schlegal, 1850), banded eagle ray (Aetomylaeus nichofii Blyth, 1860), white spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari Euphrasen, 1790), rough cow nose ray (Rhinoptera adspersa Valenciennes in Müller and Henle, 1841), Javanese cow nose ray (Rhinoptera javanica Müller and Henle, 1841), lesser devil ray (Mobula kuhlii Valenciennes in Müller and Henle, 1841) and Japanese devil ray (Mobula japonica Müller and Henle, 1841). Among the shark species, spade nose shark (Scoliodon laticaudus), milk shark (Rhizoprionodon acutus), black tip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus) and scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini) were dominantly exploited and grey sharp nose shark (Rhizoprionodon oligolinx), graceful shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchoides) and soft tail shark (Carcharhinus sorrah) are rarely exploited. And belong to ray species reticulate whip ray (Himantura uarnak), brown whip ray (Himantura uarnacoides), dwarf whip ray (Himantura walga), giant shovelnose ray (Rhinobatos typus) and white spotted whip ray (Himantura gerrardi) were prominently landed and banana leaf-tail ray (Pastinachus sephen), blotched fantail ray (Taeniura meyeni), rough cow nose ray (Rhinoptera adspersa), pink whip ray (Himantura fai), tube mouth whip ray (Himantura lobistoma), white spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) and sharp nose sting ray (Dasyatis zugei) were rarely found.

Keywords
Sharks, Rays, Landing volumes, Artisanal and industrial fishing.

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