Spatiotemporal patterns of distribution of large predatory sharks in Calabria (central Mediterranean, southern Italy)

Abstract

During the 2000-2009, a survey study on the spatiotemporal patterns of distribution of large predatory sharks was carried out in the Calabria region. A total of 12 species were recorded and among them the blue shark Prionace glauca and the bluntnose sixgill shark Hexanchus griseus were the most common ones. Also of interest was the frequency of species such as Carcharodon carcharias, Sphyrna zygaena and Cetorhinus maximus. 57% of all reported records derived from the Tyrrhenian side of the region and 43% on the Ionian side. A significant relationship between season of the year versus number of records was found, but this could be related to the small number of observers that were active during the winter months. The presence of Sphyrna lewini is reported for the study area; this species was previously recorded only in the western part of the Mediterranean Sea. This paper also provides evidence of the second and first documented accounts of white shark predation upon Tursiops truncatus and Stenella coeruleoalba, respectively, in the Mediterranean Sea. The recovering of Ionian Sphyrna zygaena populations and the declining of Lamna nasus populations were also noted.

Full text

Key words: Ecology, biogeography, elasmobranchs, Sphyrna lewini, Carcharodon carcharias,
dolphins
INTRODUCTION
Usually at the apex of trophic chains, large
predatory sharks play an important role in the
structure and functioning of marine ecosystems
(STEVENS et al., 2000). Despite their evolutionary
and ecological success, many species are
increasingly threatened with extinction as a
During the 2000-2009, a survey study on the spatiotemporal patterns of distribution of large
predatory sharks was carried out in the Calabria region. A total of 12 species were recorded and
among them the blue shark Prionace glauca and the bluntnose sixgill shark Hexanchus griseus were
the most common ones. Also of interest was the frequency of species such as Carcharodon carcharias,
Sphyrna zygaena and Cetorhinus maximus. 57% of all reported records derived from the Tyrrhenian
side of the region and 43% on the Ionian side. A significant relationship between season of the year
versus number of records was found, but this could be related to the small number of observers that
were active during the winter months. The presence of Sphyrna lewini is reported for the study area;
this species was previously recorded only in the western part of the Mediterranean Sea. This paper
also provides evidence of the second and first documented accounts of white shark predation upon
Tursiops truncatus and Stenella coeruleoalba, respectively, in the Mediterranean Sea. The recover-
ing of Ionian Sphyrna zygaena populations and the declining of Lamna nasus populations were also
noted.
result of human activities and the conservative
life history traits of this group of fish. In fact,
sharks are slow growing and late to mature,
with low fecundity (COMPAGNO et al., 2005).
These characteristics result in a very low rate of
potential population increase with little capacity
to recover from overfishing and other threats such
as pollution and habitat destruction (FOWLER et
ISSN: 0001-5113
AADRAY
ACTA ADRIAT.,
53(1): 13 - 24, 2012
UDC: 597. 311.2/4 (450-3 Kalabrija)
591.9:591.54>:597.311.2/4
Spatiotemporal patterns of distribution of large predatory
sharks in Calabria (central Mediterranean, southern Italy)
Emilio SPERONE1*, Giovanni PARISE1, Agostino LEONE1, Concetta MILAZZO1,
Vincenzo CIRCOSTA1, Gloriano SANTORO1, Giuseppe PAOLILLO2,
Primo MICARELLI3 and Sandro TRIPEPI1
1 Department of Ecology, University of Calabria, Rende (CS), Italy
2 WWF Calabria, Vibo Valentia, Italy
3Aquarium Mondo Marino – Posidonia no profit Association, Massa Marittima (GR), Italy
*Corresponding author, e-mail: sperone@unical.it

14 ACTA ADRIATICA, 53(1): 13 - 24, 2012
al., 2005; VALENZUELA et al., 2008). Many papers
demonstrated that the decline of great sharks
from coastal ecosystems have caused trophic
cascades with marked ecological consequences
(BAUM & MYERS, 2004; BASCOMPTE et al., 2005;
SHEPHERD & MYERS, 2005; MYERS et al., 2007), as
has been demonstrated for all apex predators,
both terrestrial and marine (ESTES et al., 2011).
Although the Mediterranean is a semi-
enclosed sea, the shark fauna is relatively
diverse with an estimated 47 species of shark
from 17 families (COMPAGNO, 2001; COMPAGNO
et al., 2005; SERENA, 2005) plus 4 alien species
(ZENETOS et al., 2010). However, currently, there
is a lack of knowledge on their distribution.
Family Species Common
name
Maximum
length
(cm)
Trophic
level
Hexanchidae
(cow sharks) Hexanchus griseus (Bonaterre, 1788) Bluntnose
sixgill shark 480 4.3
Chinorehinidae
(bramble sharks) Echinorhinus brucus (Bonaterre, 1788) Bramble shark 300 4.4
Odontaspididae
(sand tiger sharks) Carcharias taurus (Rafinesque, 1810) Sand tiger 320 4.4
Odontaspis ferox (Risso, 1810) Smalltooth
sand tiger 410 4.2
Alopidae
(thresher sharks) Alopias superciliosus (Lowe, 1839) Bigeye thresher 461 4.2
Alopias vulpinus (Bonnaterre, 1788) Thresher shark 600 4.2
Lamnidae
(mackerel sharks) Isurus oxyrinchus (Rafinesque, 1810) Shortfin mako 400 4.3
Lamna nasus (Bonnaterre, 1788) Porbeagle 417 4.2
Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758) White shark 720 4.5
Carcharhinidae
(requiem sharks) Carcharhinus altimus (Springer, 1950) Bignose shark 280 4.3
Carcharhinus brachyurus (Günther, 1870) Bronze whaler 292 4.2
Carcharhinus brevipinna (Müller & Henle, 1839) Spinner shark 280 4.2
Carcharhinus falciformis (Müller & Henle, 1839) Silky shark 350 4.2
Carcharhinus limbatus (Müller & Henle, 1839) Blacktip shark 255 4.2
Carcharhinus obscurus (Lesueur, 1818) Dusky shark 420 4.2
Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo, 1827) Sandbar shark 300 4.1
Prionace glauca (Linnaeus, 1758) Blue shark 380 4.1
Sphyrnidae
(hammerhead
sharks)
Sphyrna lewini (Griffith & Smith, 1834) Scalloped
hammerhead 420 4.1
Sphyrna mokarran (Rüppell, 1837) Great
hammerhead 600 4.3
Sphyrna zygaena (Linnaeus, 1758) Smooth
hammerhead 400 4.2
Table 1. Large predatory sharks occurring in the Mediterranean Sea

15
Sperone et al.: Spatiotemporal patterns of distribution of large predatory sharks in Calabria
Of the 47 autochthonous species 20 can be
considered top predators (Table 1). Large sharks
historically occurred in the entire Mediterranean
Sea although in recent decades they seemed to
be restricted to the eastern and southern part
or to offshore pelagic waters though with very
low numbers (MEGALOFONOU et al., 2005a, b;
PSOMADAKIS et al., 2009). Available evidence
indicates that large predatory sharks in the
Mediterranean Sea are generally declining in
abundance, diversity and range (FOWLER et al.,
2005; FERRETTI et al., 2008).
Only 3 species seemed to be regularly
observed: Prionace glauca, Isurus oxyrinchus
and Alopias vulpinus; the remaining species
Balearic region, the northern Adriatic and the
Tyrrhenian Sea (SIMS, 2003; SIMS et al., 2003). A
small population of the smalltooth sand tiger
shark Odontaspis ferox seems to be resident in
a particular area off Lebanon (FERGUSSON et al.,
2008).
The main objective of this study was to
describe the spatiotemporal distribution of
large predatory sharks in Calabria (southern
Italy, central Mediterranean). Different sources
of information were used to determine shark
distribution in the study area, in particular
opportunistic fishing surveys and an extensive
bibliographic search of the scientific literature.
Spatiotemporal distribution data in the study area
* according to Musick et al., (2004). Legend: Ba = Bathydal; Be = Benthopelagic; C = Coastal; O = Oceanic; P =
Pelagic)
Species N of records Preferential habitat*
Hexanchus griseus (Bonnaterre, 1788) 17 Be, Ba
Prionace glauca (Linnaeus, 1758) 17 P, O
Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758) 8 Be, C, O
Sphyrna zygaena (Linnaeus, 1758) 7 Be, C, O
Cetorhinus maximus (Gunnerus, 1765) 7 Be, C, O
Alopias vulpinus (Bonnaterre, 1788) 5 P, C, O
Isurus oxyrinchus (Rafinesque, 1810) 4 P, C, O
Lamna nasus (Bonnaterre, 1788) 2 P, C, O
Odontaspis ferox (Risso, 1810) 1 Be, Ba
Carcharhinus brevipinna (Müller and Henle, 1839) 1 Be, C
Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo, 1827) 1 Be, C
Sphyrna lewini (Griffith and Smith, 1834) 1 Be, C, O
Table 2. Large predatory sharks confirmed for the Calabria region
have been only occasionally observed (SIMS et
al., 2000; SOLDO & JARDAS, 2000; FOWLER et al.,
2005; MEGALOFONOU et al., 2005a, b; FERGUSSON et
al., 2008; PSOMADAKIS et al., 2009; FERRETTI et al.,
2008; ZENETOS et al., 2010). In addition, within the
Mediterranean Sea the presence of these sharks
is not homogenous (SERENA, 2005) and some
areas were identified as critical habitats for great
sharks. For example, Tunisian waters provide a
nursery area for the white shark Carcharodon
carcharias (FERGUSSON, 1996; SAIDI et al., 2005).
Aggregations of basking shark Cetorhinus
maximus have been observed in the northern
are reported for each species. Furthermore, some
ecological, bio-geographical and conservationist
considerations are made; reports of predation of
white shark versus cetaceans in the study area
are also provided.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Study area
Calabria is at the very south of the Italian
peninsula. The region is a long and narrow
peninsula, which stretches 248 km in the North/

16 ACTA ADRIATICA, 53(1): 13 - 24, 2012
South direction, with a maximum width of 110
km. It lies in the centre of the Mediterranean
Sea (Fig. 1), between the Tyrrhenian and the
Ionian Seas, and it is separated from Sicily
by the Strait of Messina. Calabria, together
with Sicily and the Tunisian coast, divides the
Mediterranean Sea into western and eastern
parts. The Tyrrhenian side of Calabria lays in the
western Mediterranean, while the Ionian side in
the eastern Mediterranean.
et al., 2005; SERENA, 2005). All data that directly
or indirectly provided information about the
presence of these sharks in the study area were
considered. Particularly, we divided our records
into the following categories:
- sightings, when sharks were directly observed
in the wild
- captures, referred to sharks caught onboard
fishing vessels or observed in fishmonger’s
- strandings, referred to dead sharks founded
inshore or on the seashore
- indirect observations, such as feeding
remains.
RESULTS
Of 20 species of large predatory shark that
occur in the Mediterranean basin (DE METRIO et
al., 1984; MEGALOFONOU et al., 2005a, b; FERRETTI
et al., 2008; PSOMADAKIS et al., 2009) we confirmed
for the study area the presence of 11 species,
plus the presence of Cetorhinus maximus.
In Table 1 the checklist of our 70 records
is reported. 68.58% of the records referred
to sharks caught onboard fishing vessels or
observed in fishmongers’, 22.85% of sharks
were directly observed in the wild, 5.72% were
dead sharks found inshore or on seashore and
2.85% were indirect observations. In Figure 2
are reported the typologies of records for each
species of large predatory shark for the Calabrian
region. The blue shark Prionace glauca and
the bluntnose sixgill shark Hexanchus griseus
were the most common species observed in
the study area, while Carcharodon carcharias,
Sphyrna zygaena, Cetorhinus maximus, Alopias
vulpinus and Isurus oxyrhincus were the next
Fig. 2. Typologies of records of large predatory sharks
reported for the study area
Fig. 1. Location map of the study area
Data collection
Records of large predatory sharks presented in
this work come from nine years of opportunistic
fishing surveys, from 2000 to 2009, and by
various collaborations with fishermen, fisheries
departments and marine police. In particular,
commercial and recreational fisheries landings
and sighting records were considered. Also a
bibliographical search in the scientific literature
and public and private archives was performed.
According to FERRETTI et al. (2008), large
predatory sharks were defined as species with
a maximum length > 2 m and estimated trophic
level > 4 (in sensu CORTÉS, 1999). In this study
we also included data about the presence of
Cetorhinus maximus, the world’s second-largest
fish, although it is not properly a predatory
shark because it feeds on zooplankton. Shark
identification and all common names used in this
paper followed FAO nomenclature (COMPAGNO

17
Sperone et al.: Spatiotemporal patterns of distribution of large predatory sharks in Calabria
most abundant ones. The remaining five
species (Lamna nasus, Carharhinus brevipinna,
Carcharhinus plumbeus, Odontaspis ferox and
Sphyrna lewini) were reported only once or twice.
Looking at the spatial distribution of sharks,
57% of records occurred along the Tyrrhenian
side of the Calabrian region, while 43% were on
the Ionian side. The spatial distribution of the
records is shown in Figure 3. Only three species
(Prionace glauca, Hexanchus griseus, Cetorhinus
maximus) are homogeneously distributed on
both sides. Carcharodon carcharias and Isurus
oxyrhincus were most often observed along the
Tyrrhenian side, while Sphyrna zygaena and
Alopias vulpinus were most often observed
along the Ionian side. However, if we look
at the distribution of the other five species,
Carcharhinus plumbeus was found only in the
Ionian side of Calabria, while Carcharhinus
brevipinna, Lamna nasus, Odontaspis ferox
and Sphyrna lewini were found only in the
Tyrrhenian side of the region. We also correlated
the number of records versus the seasons of the
year; although a high number of records (56.6%)
has been reported for the summer season (Figure
4) with a significant relationship between these
two variables (c2=18.343; d.f.=3; P=0.0004),
this could be related more to the small number
of observers that were active during the winter
months rather than to an effective temporal
absence of sharks.
Interesting information come from the shark-
bitten carcasses of two odontocetes (Figure
5). The first record was a bottlenose dolphin
Tursiops truncatus found in Soverato (Ionian
side of Calabria) on 03 July 2008. Bites were
Fig. 5. White shark bites on cetaceans in the study area:
bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus found in Sove-
rato on 03 July 2008 (a); striped dolphin Stenella
coeruleoalba found in Melito di Porto Salvo on 16
August 2009 (b)
b
Fig. 3. Distribution of records along Tyrrhenian and Ionian
sides of the study area
Fig. 4. Distribution of records among seasons for a
calendar year
a

18 ACTA ADRIATICA, 53(1): 13 - 24, 2012
located in the urogenital region and on the
abdomen. The second record was a striped
dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba found in Melito
di Porto Salvo (Ionian side of the region) on 16
August 2009. In this case, bites were located
on the dorsum and on the abdomen. Following
methods on the dental morphology of bites
(LONG & JONES, 1996) led to identification of
white shark Carcharodon carcharias.
DISCUSSION
The 12 species of shark confirmed for
the Calabrian region represent 57,14% of the
species of large predatory sharks reported for the
Mediterranean Sea (COMPAGNO, 2001; COMPAGNO
et al., 2005; SERENA, 2005). This shark biodiversity
could be correlated to the overall faunistic
richness and diversity of marine coastal habitats
present in the study area. Among the reported
species, Prionace glauca and Hexanchus
griseus were the most common. The dominance
of Prionace glauca is consistent with other
studies (DE METRIO et al., 1984; MEGALOFONOU
et al., 2005a, b; PSOMADAKIS et al., 2009). However,
comparison of historical data from swordfish
fisheries with a more recent study has revealed
that the catch rates in the central Mediterranean
Sea over the last 20 years have decreased by
an average of 38.5% (DE METRIO et al., 1984;
MEGALOFONOU et al., 2005b). Hexanchus griseus
is also a common species in the Mediterranean;
in particular, it is more common in the western
basin, while it is less common in the eastern
basin (COMPAGNO et al., 2005; MEGALOFONOU et
al., 2005a; SERENA, 2005). In Calabria, this species
showed a homogeneous distribution on both the
Tyrrhenian and Ionian sides of the region.
Records of the white shark Carcharodon
carcharias in Calabria were more frequent along
the Tyrrhenian side than the Ionian side. Our
data confirm the general distribution described
for this species in the Mediterranean Sea. In fact,
it is known that white sharks were observed from
all national coasts of the western Mediterranean
basin, while infrequent records are known for
the eastern basin (FERGUSSON, 1996). Recently
KABASAKAL & ÖZGÜR GEDIKOGLU (2008)
reported the capture of two newborns of white
shark from Turkish waters of the north Aegean
Sea. Further information about the feeding
ecology of this species in the Mediterranean
Sea comes from the records of the two dolphins
bitten by white sharks along the Ionian side of
the Calabria region. It is known that the white
shark is a versatile predator and scavenges
upon a wide spectrum of prey. Stomach
content data demonstrated that this shark is
piscivorous at all size classes despite a shift with
maturity towards larger prey including marine
mammals, principally pinnipeds (FERGUSSON
et al., 2000; ESTRADA et al., 2003; MARTIN et al.,
2005; ESTRADA et al., 2006; SPERONE et al., 2010).
In the Mediterranean Sea pinnipeds are scarce
or essentially absent and white sharks feed
upon odontocetes or large pelagic fish, and
sporadically upon chelonians (FERGUSSON, 1996;
FERGUSSON et al., 2000). Our data represent the
second documented account of white shark
predation (or possibile scavenging) upon Tursiops
truncatus and the first documented account of
Stenella coeruleoalba for the Mediterranean
Sea. The morphology and position of the bites
on the body of the two dolphins follow the
patterns described by LONG & JONES (1996).
Data about predator-prey interactions between
white sharks and Stenella coeruleoalba were
not available for the study area, while only one
confirmed record about predation upon Tursiops
truncatus has been reported (FERGUSSON, 1996).
Sphyrna zygaena was the next most abundant
species in the study area. This species was
more frequent along the Ionian side of the
Calabria region and this reflects the general
trend described by FERRETTI et al. (2008) for the
Mediterranean Sea. Populations of this shark
had the fastest decline among the investigated
species by various authors. In particular, they
started to decline in the Tyrrhenian Sea in the
early 20th Century. From 1995 FERRETTI et al.
(2008) found no more records of hammerhead
sharks in Ionian investigated longlines. Our data
demonstrate a recovery for the populations of
this shark on the Ionian side of Calabria. All
our records refer to sharks observed or captured
in coastal areas such as the specimen shown

19
Sperone et al.: Spatiotemporal patterns of distribution of large predatory sharks in Calabria
in Figure 6 and observed inshore in Soverato
(Ionian side of Calabria) on 07 September 2008.
A newborn of the species was also observed at
the same location.
Basking shark Cetorhinus maximus showed a
homogeneous distribution along the coasts of the
entire Calabria region. The number of records
support the opinion that it is a relatively rare but
constant species, as also reported for other areas
(SIMS et al., 2000; SOLDO & JARDAS, 2000). The
highest occurrence of the basking shark has been
observed from spring until autumn. This could
be related to zooplankton abundance in this time
period (SIMS & QUALE, 1998).
Records of Alopias vulpinus were distributed
over the entire Calabria region, with the highest
occurrence along the Ionian side. This pattern is
in accordance with other reports (MEGALOFONOU
et al., 2005a, b) in which a higher number of
records of the species was observed more for
the eastern Mediterranean than for the western
Fig. 6. Hammerhead shark Sphyrna zygaena observed inshore in Soverato on 07 September 2008
part. However, drastic declines were detected
and documented by FERRETTI et al. (2008) in the
Ionian Sea mainly due to recreational catches.
Records of other lamnoid shark species
(Isurus oxyrinchus and Lamna nasus) showed
a higher frequency along the Tyrrhenian side
of Calabria, as observed for the white shark.
Compared to other reports for the Mediterranean
Sea, the number of Calabrian records is definitely
lower than the number of records for other
Mediterranean areas (SOLDO & JARDAS, 2000;
MEGALOFONOU et al., 2005a, b). FERRETTI et al.
(2008) affirmed that Lamnids had the second-
largest declines after hammerhead sharks. In
particular, Lamna nasus showed the most serious
depletion. A strong reduction in abundance and
geographical distribution in this species has
been observed, and its actual presence in the
Mediterranean Sea appears to be restricted to the
central basin (STEVENS et al., 2000).
The other four species were reported

20 ACTA ADRIATICA, 53(1): 13 - 24, 2012
only once in Calabria. Odontaspis ferox was
confirmed for the central-western Mediterranean
and it is reported as occasionally caught in
Italian waters of the Calabrian Tyrrhenian Sea
(FERGUSSON et al., 2008). Occurrences eastwards
of the Ionian Sea were never reported. Our
record along the Tyrrhenian side of Calabria
and the absence of records along the Ionian
side seems to confirm this. The few records of
requiem sharks (Carcharhinus brevipinna and
Carcharhinus plumbeus) could be explained,
according to RELINI et al. (2000) and FERRETTI
et al. (2008) as a consequence of a rapid decline
of these sharks. Requiem sharks are predators
inhabiting coastal environments, and sharks that
prefer these habitats may have declined more
precipitously and earlier. Finally, of particular
biogeographical value is the record of Sphyrna
lewinii. In fact this species was known only for
the western Mediterranean Sea, from Gibraltar
to the Balearic Islands (COMPAGNO et al., 2005;
SERENA, 2005). The specimen we observed in
San Lucido (Tyrrhenian side of Calabria) on
15 July 2008 is not only the first record of
this species for Italian waters, but also the
easternmost record for the species in the entire
Mediterranean (SERENA, 2005).
The absence of the species Carcharias taurus,
Carcharhinus limbatus, Carcharhinus obscurus
and Sphyrna mokarran in the study area is a
consequence of their occasional presence in the
entire Mediterranean Sea (BOERO & CARLI, 1977;
COMPAGNO et al., 2005; SERENA, 2005). The species
Alopias superciliosus, Carcharhinus altimus,
Carcharhinus brachyurus, Carcharhinus
falciformis and Echinorhinus brucus have
been previously reported for the western
Mediterranean (MORENO & HOYOS, 1983; VACCHI
et al., 1996; ORSI RELINI, 1998; GOLANI et al., 2002;
SERENA, 2005: ZENETOS et al., 2010) and for this
reason they were not observed in the study area.
CONCLUSIONS
Our study provides a reference point for
the knowledge and assessment of the status of
large predatory pelagic sharks in the central
Mediterranean Sea. Until now there has been
little documentation about the presence of these
fish in this area. Due to the lack of existing
data, no further speculation could be made.
However, these data could represent a starting
point for planning conservation measures.
Particularly remarkable is on one hand the
probable recovering of Ionian Sphyrna zygaena
populations and, on the other hand, the declining
of Tyrrhenian Lamna nasus populations. Long-
term monitoring programs should be established
in order to acquire further and more useful
information for the realization of conservation
plans for these sharks in an area (the Calabrian
region) that represents an exchange channel
between the western and eastern Mediterranean
Sea.
AKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We thank fishermen, coworkers and students
who collaborated during sampling procedures:
G. ALOISE, F. COPPOLA, G. CAMIGLIANO, D.P.
CUGLIARI, M. MAZZA, N. MICHELIZZI, T.
MINGOZZI, M. SPERONE, F. ZAPPIA. Authors are
also grateful to Dr. F.G. SPERONE for the revision
of the English text.
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Received: 02 September 2010
Accepted: 17 January 2012

24 ACTA ADRIATICA, 53(1): 13 - 24, 2012
Prostorno vremenski modeli raspodjele velikih morskih pasa
u Kalabriji (srednji Mediteran, južna Italija)
Emilio SPERONE1*, Giovanni PARISE , Agostino LEONE1, Concetta MILAZZO1,
Vincenzo CIRCOSTA1, Gloriano SANTORO1, Giuseppe PAOLILLO2,
Primo MICARELLI3 i Sandro TRIPEPI1
1Odsjek ekologije, Sveučilište u Kalabriji, Rende (CS), Italija
2WWF Kalabrija, Vibo Valentia, Italija
3Akuarij Morski svijet – Neprofitna udruga Posidonia, Massa Marittima (GR), Italija
*Kontakt adresa, e-mail: sperone@unical.it
SAŽETAK
U razdoblju od 2000 do 2009, provedeno je istraživanje prostorno-vremenskih obrazaca
raspodjele velikih grabežljivih morskih pasa u talijanskoj regiji Calabria. Ukupno je zabilježeno
12 vrsta, te su među njima najčešće bili zastupljeni morski pas modrulj Prionace glauca i glavonja
Hexanchus griseus. Zanimljiva je i učestalost vrsta kao što su velika bijela psina Carcharodon
carcharias, mlat Sphyrna zygaena i psina golema Cetorhinus maximus. Od svih prijavljenih nalaza
57% je ostvareno na Tirenskoj strani regije, a 43% na Jonskoj strani. Ustanovljena je značajna
povezanost između godišnjih doba u odnosu na broj zapisa, ali to bi moglo bi se moglo odnositi
na mali broj promatrača koji su bili aktivni tijekom zimskih mjeseci. Prisutnost Sphyrna lewini je
ustanovljena na istraživanom području: ova vrsta je prethodno bila zabilježena samo u zapadnom
dijelu Sredozemnog mora.U radu se također navodi prvi i drugi dokumentirani nalaz bijelog
morskog psa kao grabežljivca vrste dobrog dupina Tursiops truncatus i plavobijelog dupina Stenella
coeruleoalba u Sredozemnom moru. Također je primjećen oporavak jonske populacije mlata
Sphyrna zygaena i pad populacije kučine Lamna nasus.
Ključne riječi: ekologija, bio-geografija, elasmobranhije, mlat Sphyrna lewini, velika bijela psina
Carcharodon carcharias, dupini