Slope trawl fisheries of the southeastern and southern region off Brazil operate at 250-500 m depths, being basically sustained by three target-species: hake (Merluccius hubbsi), codling (Urophycis mystacea) and monkfish (Lophius gastrophysus), together with other high-priced species landed as incidental captures. These and all other species landed by the slope trawl fleet were sampled from commercial catches, differentiating between shelf/shelf-break species and slope species. Each species was characterized by ex-vessel price, carcass yield and chemical composition: water content and protein content as percentage of wet and dry mass. The differences found in the chemical composition of the slope species, relative to the shallower group, seemed to reflect adaptations for particular environmental factors; most likely low light levels in deeper areas. Their muscles were richer in water and lower in protein and lipids. Ex-vessel prices correlated better with these characteristics than with the edible fraction, revealing that slope fishes exploited off Brazil are appreciated more by their organoleptic characteristics, given by the chemical composition, than by the per-unit profit of the species.

Las pesquerías de arrastre de talud de la región sudeste y sur de Brasil operan principalmente entre 250-500 m de profundidad, siendo básicamente sostenidas por sus especies objetivo: merluza (Merluccius hubbsi), brótola de profundidad (Urophycis mystacea) y rape (Lophius gastrophysus), junto con otras especies de elevado valor comercial desembarcadas como capturas incidentales. Éstas y todas las demás especies desembarcadas por la flota de arrastre de talud, fueron muestreadas a partir de las capturas comerciales, diferenciando entre especies de plataforma/borde de plataforma y especies de talud. Para cada especie se determinó el precio de primera venta, el rendimiento del cuerpo y la composición química: contenido en agua y contenido proteico como porcentaje de materia húmeda y seca. Las diferencias encontradas en la composición proximal de las especies de talud, en relación al grupo de menor profundidad, parecen reflejar adaptaciones a factores ambientales particulares; principalmente por la menor luminosidad en aguas más profundas. La musculatura fue más rica en agua y más pobre en proteínas y lípidos. Los precios de primera comercialización se correlacionaron con dichas características más que con la fracción comestible, revelando que las especies de talud explotadas en aguas brasileñas son más valoradas por sus características organolépticas, dadas por la composición química, que por su aprovechamiento individual.

Since the early 2000s, codling, hake and blackfin goosefish became main components in the landings of double-rig and stern trawlers fishing in the slope off the south and southeast coasts of Brazil. Because these stocks are known to be little resilient, the heterogeneous and unpredictable fishing regime has been regarded as biologically and ecologically unsafe. In this article, we examine the fishing strategies developed by the Brazilian trawl fleet when fishing deep water fish between 2007 and 2009. Slope fish resources were primarily exploited under four fishing tactics. On Tactic 1 landings comprised mainly hake and blackfin goosefish, with trawlers concentrating their fishing effort on the fishing grounds located in the upper slope (300350 m depth) in central and northern areas. Two other strategies (Tactics 3 and 4) were similar to each other, with trawlers occupying fishing grounds on the upper slope (350 m) along the whole area. Catches were dominated by codling, representing at least 50% of the fish landed. A fourth strategy (Tactic 2) concentrated in shallow fishing grounds (100 m) along the whole coast, reported only small landings of deep water species (less than 20%). We characterized five different fleets based on the number of fishing trips that vessels dedicated to each strategy. During the study period, 34-37 vessels have undertaken fishing trips primarily in slope fishing grounds, however a few vessels (10-14) also fished for coastal species (Tactic 2). From 11 to 22 vessels fished regularly as coastal trawlers, operating opportunistically on slope grounds. Management of the deep water trawl fishery should take into consideration the number of trawlers specialized in targeting deep-water resources and the behaviour of opportunistic trawlers occasionally fishing in the slope.

Desde comienzos de los años 2000, la brótola, la merluza y el rape pescador se convirtieron en los principales componentes de los desembarques de las flotas de arrastre doble y de arrastre por popa, que operó en el talud de la costa sur y sureste de Brasil. Debido a que estos stocks son conocidamente poco resilientes, el heterogéneo e impredecible régimen de pesca ha sido considerado como biológico y ecológicamente poco seguro. En este artículo, examinamos las estrategias de pesca desarrolladas por la flota de arrastre brasilera en la extracción de peces de aguas profundas entre 2007 y 2009. Los peces de aguas profundas fueron principalmente explotados mediante cuatro estrategias de pesca. En la Táctica 1, los desembarques incluyeron principalmente merluza y rape pescador, con los arrastreros concentrando su esfuerzo en las zonas de pesca localizadas en el talud superior (300-350 m) de las áreas central y norte. En otras dos estrategias (Tácticas 3 y 4), similares entre sí, operaron arrastreros en toda el área de las zonas de pesca localizadas en el talud superior (350 m). Las capturas fueron predominantemente brótola, que representó al menos el 50% del desembarque. Una cuarta estrategia (Táctica 2), que se concentró en zonas de pesca poco profundas (100 m) a lo largo de toda la costa, reportó solo bajos desembarques de especies de aguas profundas (<20%). Se caracterizaron cinco flotas diferentes, basados en el número de viajes de pesca que los buques realizaron bajo cada estrategia. Durante el periodo de estudio, 34-37 buques realizaron viajes de pesca mayoritariamente en zonas localizadas en el talud, sin embargo, unos pocos buques (10-14) también pescaron especies costeras (Táctica 2). Entre 11 y 22 buques pescaron de manera regular como arrastreros costeros y de aguas profundas, operando de manera oportunista en el talud. El manejo de la pesca de arrastre de aguas profundas debiera tomar en consideración el tamaño de la flota compuesta por arrastreros especializados en recursos de aguas profundas y en el comportamiento de aquellos que ocasionalmente pescan en el talud.

O camarão-barba-ruça (Artemesia longinaris) e o camarão-santana (Pleoticus muelleri) são espécies que sustentam uma pescaria responsável por elevadas capturas das frotas de camaroeiros no sul do Brasil. Este trabalho teve como objetivo analisar a variabilidade da abundância das duas espécies à variação dos dados de DPUEs da frota de arrasteiros em operação entre 1998 e 2005, por meio do ajuste de Modelos Lineares Generalizados (MLG). As principais variações de abundância das duas espécies estão relacionadas aos ciclos anuais e a temporada de pesca. As áreas rasas ao sul do Rio Grande do Sul proporcionaram maiores rendimentos. Não foram observadas tendências de aumento ou declínio na abundância do estoque, mas o esforço de um determinado ano é condicionado pelo sucesso das capturas do ano anterior. Nos dois últimos anos analisados a abundância e as capturas totais foram reduzidas.

The Argentine stiletto shrimp (Artemesia longinaris) and the Argentine red shrimp (Pleoticus muelleri) currently sustain an important fishery in terms of tonnage and revenues in southern Brazil. This study analyzed the factors affecting the abundance of both species through the application of Generalized Linear Models to landing-per-unit-of-effort (LPUE) data of the trawl fleet operating on the main fishing grounds between 1998 and 2005. The main patterns of LPUE variability of both species were attributed do the effect of seasons and annual cycles. Larger yields were obtained in the southern shallow areas of Rio Grande do Sul State. No tendency either to an increase or a decline in stock abundance was observed, but the effort in one year was affected by the success of the captures of the previous year. In the last two years analyzed the abundance and the total captures declined.

A carcass of a giant squid Architeuthis sp. was found afloat off Southern Brazil (28°05'S, 45°35'W) on 29 August 1999. The specimen was a mature female of 116 cm mantle length and had arms incomplete and tentacles missing. The specimen was morphologically similar to those previously described for the Southwest Atlantic, but a few peculiarities were found on the shape of the fins, head and the cross-section and length of ventral arms. Spermatophores were found embedded within the skin of the left ventral arm, at around 60 cm from the mouth, and could be traced to the core of the arm, radiating nearly four centimeters from the point of entry. This was the third record of Architeuthis in Brazilian waters and the eighth in Southwest Atlantic when the specimen was found.

Seguindo a recente expansão da pesca brasileira para o talude continental, uma nova pescaria de camarões da família Aristeidae tem se desenvolvido desde meados de 2002. O camarão "carabineiro", Aristaeopsis edwardsiana, é o principal componente das capturas, alcançando 88,4 % da produção total de camarões. Os camarões "moruno", Aristaeomorpha foliacea e "alistado", Aristeus antillensis, compõem frações menores das descargas (9,8 % e 1,8 % respectivamente). Duas áreas principais de pesca foram descobertas na região Sudeste do Brasil (19º - 25ºS) e uma no limite setentrional da ZEE do país (4º - 5ºN). As capturas estiveram concentradas entre as isóbatas de 700 e 750 m. As taxas médias de captura de A. edwardsiana flutuaram entre 6,5 e 9,7 kg.h-1. As outras espécies foram capturadas em taxas consideravelmente menores (0,1 - 0,6 kg.h-1 e 0,1 - 1,3 kg.h-1, respectivamente). Sugere-se uma sazonalidade nas capturas de A. edwardsiana, com valores máximos entre julho e dezembro. Apesar do direcionamento aos camarões, capturas incidentais do caranguejo-real (Chaceon ramosae) alcançaram uma média de 22 % das descargas totais.

Following the recent expansion of the Brazilian fishery to slope fishing grounds, a new directed trawl fishery for aristeid shrimps emerged since mid 2002. Aristaeopsis edwardsiana has been the main component of the catches attaining 88.4% of total shrimp production. Aristaeomorpha foliacea and Aristeus antillensis have composed significantly smaller fractions of the landings (9.8 % and 1.8 % respectively). Two main grounds were located in the southeastern region (ca. 19º - 25ºS) and one in the northern border of the Brazilian EEZ (ca. 4º30' - 5ºN). Catches have been extremely concentrated between the 700 and 750 m isobaths. Mean catch rates of A. edwardsiana oscillated between 6.5 and 9.7 kg.h-1. The other species have been caught at considerably lower rates (0.1 - 0.6 kg.h-1 and 0.1 - 1.3 kg.h-1, respectively). A seasonal pattern in A. edwardsiana catches is suggested, with maximum values obtained between July and December. While largely directed to the shrimps, incidental catches of the royal crab (Chaceon ramosae) attained, on average, 22 % of the total landings.

Foi avaliada a viabilidade do estatólito e do gladius como ferramentas para estudos de idade e crescimento da lula loliginídea Loligo plei no sul do Brasil. Estatólitos são estruturas calcificadas que, após polimento, revelaram uma serie de incrementos concêntricos depositados em torno de um núcleo. Contagens consistentes desses incrementos cobriram toda a vida do animal e puderam ser consideradas apropriadas para a estimativa de idade desse organismo. O gladius é a concha interna que cresce pela deposição longitudinal de camadas de quitina. Incrementos foram observados na superfície dorsal, delimitados por consecutivas marcas formadas durante períodos de crescimento lento. Ao longo da deposição de quitina o crescimento do início da vida é progressivamente mascarado fazendo com que as contagens de incrementos totais subestimem a idade da lula. Devido ao crescimento do gladius correlacionar-se fortemente com o crescimento somático, os incrementos puderam ser utilizados para a reconstrução do crescimento. Os incrementos do estatólito e do gladius foram depositados com a mesma, possivelmente diária, periodicidade. Infere-se que L. plei no sul do Brasil possa atingir até cerca de 9 meses de vida.

Statolith and gladius were investigated for their suitability as tools for age and growth studies in the loliginid squid Loligo plei off southern Brazil. Statoliths when polished, revealed a series of concentric increments deposited around a nucleus. Consistent increment counts covered the squid's entire life-time and could be considered suitable for individual age estimation. Growth increments were observed on the dorsal surface as delimited by consecutive marks formed during low growth periods. Because early growth was masked during chitin deposition, total increment counts underestimated individual age. Gladius growth was highly correlated with somatic growth, and gladius increments could be used to reconstruct individual growth histories. Both statolith and gladius increments were deposited with the same, possibly daily, periodicity. It could be inferred that L. plei off southern Brazil might live up to around nine months of age.