A bibliographic and field record chronology of sharks at Cabo Pulmo National Park, Gulf of California

Abstract

The Cabo Pulmo reef in the southwest of the Gulf of California, Mexico (23 ° 26´ N, 109 ° 25´ W), is considered one of the most successful protected areas in the American Pacific, since during this century there have been increases in abundance and biomass of resident carnivorous fish (snappers , whitefish, horse mackerel, sharks, etc.). This is due to the no-fishing regime and the good state of conservation that allow it to maintain high levels of primary and secondary productivity. The increase in the flow of matter and energy has led to the arrival of high trophic level species such as sharks, which are more frequent and represent a local tourist attraction. The objective of this work is to present a chronology of the appearance of the different species of sharks in Cabo Pulmo, based on bibliography, field work and consultations with local residents, dive guides and specialists who have visited the area in the last 15 years. The results show that 11 species of sharks of 9 genera and 6 families have been recorded in the Cabo Pulmo reef; eight of these were annotated in various bibliographic sources; here the occurrence of three more is cited for the first time (Sphyrna lewini, Gynglymostoma cirratum and Carcharhinus longimanus). The arrival of these species to the reef zone could be indicative of a good state of the local ecosystem, therefore it is expected that in the coming years a greater number of shark species, or their biomass, will be recorded.