Stress related blood values in Scyliorhinus canicula as live-indicators of physiological status after bottom trawling capture activity

The quantification of capture-related physiological stress is an important factor when assessing the potential for post-release survival in sharks that are incidentally captured. In the absence of these biological data and when the post-release fate is unknown, effective management plans cannot be formulated and may lead to highly susceptible shark populations being overfished. Here, we measured the levels of lactate, glucose, alanine amino transferase (ALT), aspartate amino transferase (AST), Ca2+, Na+ K+,Cl – Mg 2+ and Pi in the plasma of mature and immature lesser spotted dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula, herein dogfish) which were incidentally captured at two depths (shallow: 50-200 m, and deep: 201-500 m) by bottom trawl off the coast of southern Sicily. These values were used as biomarkers and physiological indicators of the secondary stress response associated with capture.