Estudo da sazonalidade, distribuição, abundância e comportamento migratório do tubarão-baleia (Rhincodon typus Smith, 1828) no Arquipélago de São Pedro e São Paulo

Abstract

In Saint Peter and Saint Paul archipelago (SPSPA), located at mid-Atlantic ridge, near to Equator line, population aspects of whale sharks was analized through in situ observation on distribution, seasonality, different behavior, and photo-identification. The movements of whale sharks was tracked using two models of satellite tag: SAT (Satellite Argos-linked transmitter) and PSAT (Pop up satellite archival transmitting tag) in one male (TB-01; 4.8 m) and one female (TB-02; 8.5 m),respectively. Whale shark occur in SPSP adjacencies yearround,although, are more abundant in the first semester, mainly, in February, March, and June. The annual record mean was 10.8 year-1 between 2000 and 2009. The size ranges from 1.8 to 14.0 m with mean± s.d. equal to 7.4± 2.4 m and the majority (62.9%) of whale sharks smaller than 9.0 m, under the estimated size at first maturation. Data received from Argos Satellite system indicate that the whale shark swam away from archipelago heading west. Both sharks spent the major of the time at surface, and the TB-02 dove into bathypelagic zone, attaining the maximum depth of 1,976 m. This was the first initiative to understand behavioral and population dynamics aspects of the whale sharks as well as the movement in Brazil and Equatorial Atlantic from SPSPA and will continue in the hope of building better conservation strategies.