Analysis of the Representativeness of the Weight of the Gastrointestinal Contents of Zapteryx brevirostris (Pristiformes: Rhinobatidae), from the Southeast-South Region of Brazil (SP-SC) Luiz Henrique Meyer Rocha, Helen Sadauskas-Henrique, Matheus Marcos Rotundo

Abstract

The stingray Zapteryx brevirostris is endemic to the South Atlantic and is threatened with extinction. Evaluating the representativeness of the gastrointestinal content of the species is extremely important to understand the food biology, its functional and auxiliary role in conservation. The specimens obtained through the “Pró-pesca Project: fishing for knowledge”, were measured and gutted for the removal and analysis of the contents. Correlation analyses showed high determination coefficients between weight and length (R²=0.8924 for males and R²=0.9748 for females). The representativeness of all contents (stomach, intestinal and gastrointestinal) was low in relation to the total weight, with intestinal contents being the most representative. The diet and eating habits of the species suggest rapid stomach digestion and indicate constant feeding activity, without long periods of fasting.