516 



Abstract— Molecular-based approach- 

 es for shark species identification have 

 been driven largely by issues specific 

 to the fishery. In an effort to estab- 

 lish a more comprehensive identifica- 

 tion data set, we investigated DNA 

 sequence variation of a 1.4-kb region 

 from the mitochondrial genome cover- 

 ing partial sequences from the 12S 

 rDNA. 16S rDNA, and the complete 

 valine tRNA from 35 shark species 

 from the Atlantic fishery. Generally, 

 within-species variability was low in 

 relation to interspecific divergence 

 because species haloptypes formed 

 monophyletic groups. Phylogenetic 

 analyses resolved ordinal relation- 

 ships among Carcharhiniformes and 

 Lamniformes, and revealed support 

 for the families Sphyrnidae and Tri- 

 akidae (within Carcharhiniformes) 

 and Lamnidae and Alopidae (within 

 Lamniformes). The combination of 

 limited intraspecific variability and 

 sufficient between-species divergence 

 indicates that this locus is suitable 

 for species identification. 



Mitochondrial gene sequences useful for species 

 identification of western North Atlantic Ocean sharks 



Thomas W. Greig 



M. Katherine Moore 



Cheryl M. Woodley 



National Ocean Service 



National Center for Coastal Ocean Science 



Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research at Charleston 



219 Fort Johnson Road 



Charleston, South Carolina 29412-9110 



E-mail address (for T W. Greig) Thomas Greig (ginoaa gov 



Joseph M. Quattro 



Department of Biological Sciences 

 School of the Environment 

 University of South Carolina 

 Columbia, South Carolina 29208 



Manuscript submitted 22 June 2004 

 to the Scientific Editor's Office. 



Manuscript approved for publication 

 28 March 2005 by the Scientific Editor. 



Fish. Bull. 103:516-523 (2005). 



Seventy-three species of sharks inhabit 

 the United States territorial waters 

 of the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, 

 and Caribbean Sea (Compagno, 

 1984a, 1984b). All but one (spiny 

 dogfish, Squalus acanthias, managed 

 separately) are managed under the 

 current Fisheries Management Plan 

 (FMP) for highly migratory species 

 (NMFS 1 ). Thirty-three species are of 

 lesser commercial importance and are 

 relegated to the "deepwater and other" 

 species management group, and 19 

 species cannot be landed commercially 

 or recreationally ("prohibited species" 

 group). The remaining 20 species are 

 of interest to the commercial shark 

 fishery and are categorized as large 

 coastal species (LCS), small coastal 

 species (SCS), and pelagic species 

 management units in the current 

 FMP. Although these management 

 units are practical, it is clear that 

 species respond uniquely to exploita- 

 tion and therefore should be managed 

 on a species-by-species basis (Castro 

 et al., 1999; NMFS 2 ). Species-level 

 management is widely recommended 

 (e.g., FAO Marine Resource Service, 

 2000) but is complicated by the pau- 

 city of species-specific fisheries data, 

 stemming, in part, from an inability 

 to accurately identify species. 



Many commercially important spe- 

 cies (e.g., within Carcharhiniformes) 

 are difficult to identify whole, and 

 this task is more daunting if indi- 

 viduals are processed (head, entrails, 

 and fins are removed); unfortunately, 

 at-sea processing is widespread in the 

 industry (Castro 3 ). Although current 

 U.S. legislation prohibits the practice 

 of "finning" (where fins are retained 

 and carcasses are discarded at sea). 



1 NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Ser- 

 vice). 2003. Final amendment 1 to the 

 fishery management plan for Atlantic 

 tunas, swordfish and sharks, 599 p. Of- 

 fice of Sustainable Fisheries, Highly 

 Migratory Species Management Division, 

 NMFS, NOAA, 1315 East West Highway, 

 SSMC3, Silver Spring, MD 20910. 



2 NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Ser- 

 vice). 2001. Final United States na- 

 tional plan of action for the conservation 

 and management for sharks, 90 p. Of- 

 fice of Sustainable Fisheries, Highly 

 Migratory Species Management Division, 

 NMFS, NOAA, 1315 East West Highway, 

 SSMC3, Silver Spring, MD 20910. 



3 Castro, J. I 1993. A field guide to 

 the sharks commonly caught in com- 

 mercial fisheries of the southeastern 

 United States. NOAA Tech. Memo. 

 NMFS-SEFSC-338, 47 p. Southeast 

 Fisheries Science Center, NMFS, NOAA, 

 75 Virginia Beach Dr., Miami, FL 

 33149. 



