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Predictive regression equations were generated to estimate total length of the Argentine seabass (A. patachonicus) using skull and pectoral girdle bones, specific body and otolith lengths. Regressions of skull and pectoral girdle bones, specific body and otolith lengths were all statistically significant. Generating regressions of the bony and external characteristics of the fish body meaningfully increases the ability to analyse the information that can be obtained from the study of the stomach contents of predators of fish from the southwest Atlantic. Fil: Riestra, Cecilia Micaela. Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones y Desarrollo Pesquero; Argentina Fil: Perez Comesaña, Jorge E.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia". Estación Hidrobiológica de Puerto Quequén (sede Quequén); Argentina Fil: Arias, Karina Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia". Estación Hidrobiológica de Puerto Quequén (sede Quequén); Argentina Fil: Tamini, Leandro Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia". Estación Hidrobiológica de Puerto Quequén (sede Quequén); Argentina Fil: Chiaramonte, Gustavo Enrique. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia". Estación Hidrobiológica de Puerto Quequén (sede Quequén); Argentina

Penguins are the most threatened group of seabirds after albatrosses. Although penguins are regularly captured in fishing gear, the threat to penguins as a group has not yet been assessed. We reviewed both published and grey literature to identify the fishing gear types that penguins are most frequently recorded in, the most impacted species and, for these susceptible species, the relative importance of bycatch compared to other threats. While quantitative estimates of overall bycatch levels are difficult to obtain, this review highlights that, of the worldís 18 species of penguins, 14 have been recorded as bycatch in fishing gear and that gillnets, and to a lesser extent trawls, are the gear types that pose the greatest threats to penguins. Bycatch is currently of greatest concern for yellow-eyed Megadyptes antipodes (Endangered), Humboldt Spheniscus humboldti (Vulnerable) and Magellanic Spheniscus magellanicus penguins (Near Threatened). Penguins face many threats; reducing bycatch mortality in fishing gear will greatly enhance the resilience of penguin populations to threats from habitat loss and climate change that are more difficult to address in the short term. Additional data are required to quantify the true extent of penguin bycatch, particularly for the most susceptible species. In the meantime, it is crucially important to manage the fisheries operating within known penguin foraging areas to reduce the risks to this already threatened group of seabirds.

A total of 230 specimens of the skate, Rioraja agassizii, was collected from the commercial bottom trawl fishery of Puerto Quequén, Argentina. During the warmer seasons greater proportions of females were sampled. The largest male and female sampled were 629 and 698 mm total length (TL), respectively. Sexual dimorphism was detected in the relationship between weight (W))TL and disc width (DW))TL, in that females were heavier and wider than males. The smallest mature male and female were 485 and 530 mm TL, respectively. TL at 50% maturity (TL50%) was estimated at 504 and 570 mm for males and females, respectively. Females exhibited heavier livers than males throughout their lifetimes. Seasonal variations in the gonadosomatic (GSI) and hepatosomatic (HSI) indices, and in the width of the left oviducal gland (OG), along with the greater number of pregnant females sampled during spring, suggested that the peak of the egg laying season could be during this season. The egg cases presented a mean length of 69.01 ± 5.53 mm, mean width of 43.40 ± 1.86 mm and mean weight of 17.00 ± 4.59 g. According to these results specimens from Puerto Quequén and southern Brazil appeared to differ in size, the peak of the egg-laying season and in egg dimensions. Fil: Estalles, María Lourdes. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”; Argentina Fil: Perez Comesaña, J. E.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”; Argentina Fil: Tamini, Leandro Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”; Argentina Fil: Chiaramonte, Gustavo Enrique. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”; Argentina

Elasmobranchs have become an important element of the bycatch in the fisheries worldwide and an important resource for most of Argentine trawl fisheries. This work is the first analysis of the diversity of batoid fishes in the bycatch of the Argentine coastal fisheries. Between July 1998 and June 2000, an onboard observer program was carried out and 89 tows were monitored. A total of 1354 batoid specimens were obtained from the bycatch and 11 different species were identified: Atlantoraja castelnaui , A. cyclophora , Dasyatis pastinaca , Dipturus chilensis , Discopyge tschudii , Myliobatis goodei , Psammobatis bergi , P. extenta , Rioraja agassizi , Sympterygia bonapartii and Zapteryx brevirostris . The electric ray D. tschudii and the sand skate P. extenta were the most abundant species and were always discarded. The commercial capture of batoids was estimated at 33.6 kg h −1 and showed no clear pattern of temporal variation.

Reproductive biology of Mustelus schmitti, Springer, 1939 in Puerto Quequen, Buenos Aires Province. The reproductive biology of M. schmitti collected from the commercial bottom trawl fishery operating in Puerto Quequen, Argentina is investigated in the present study. The specimens were sampled seasonally during 2003–2004. The number of sharks collected was 637 (298 males and 339 females), including 190 pregnant females with 1,103 embryos. Size ranges for males were 419 – 819 mm total length (LT) and 417 – 951 mm LT for females. Total length and body weight relationship was different between sexes (P 0.05). Size frequency shows that females attain larger length and weight than males. Fifty percent (50%) of maturity size shows that males mature at a lower LT (567 mm) than females (598 mm). The left testis reached larger weight and length than the right one (P 0.05).