Smalltooth sawfish research in the Caloosahatchee River:

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Smalltooth sawfish research in the Caloosahatchee
River Overview of what weve learned since the
last CHNEP meeting
G.R. Poulakis1, P.S. Stevens1, A.A.
Timmers1,C.J. Stafford1, C.A. Simpfendorfer2, P.
ODonnell3, and T.R. Wiley2 1FWC/Fish
and Wildlife Research Institute 2Mote Marine
Laboratory 3Rookery Bay National Estuarine
Research Reserve
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Objectives
1) Intro/general highlights 2) Juvenile
growth 3) Sawfish health 4) Outreach update
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Smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata)

• Endangered species in 2003
• Only one species in Florida
• Worldwide range?
• Historical U.S. range New York (rare) to Texas
• Current U.S. range south Florida only

(from Last and Stevens, 1994)
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Smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata)
Very little is known

• Born at 0.70.8 m TL
• Max 6 m (18 ft) TL
• Juveniles occur in shallow coastal habitats
• Adults occur in shallow and deep water
• Size/Age at maturity? (we can estimate size for
  males)
• Growth rates? (we know juveniles now)
• Habitat requirements? (we know some for
  juveniles)
• Home range? (analyses during 2008)
• Seasonal movements? (analyses during 2008)

We are beginning to answer some questions
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Data collected by FWC
Sawfish hotline fisher interviews Random
600 seine samples (8 per month) lower
Caloosahatchee River Directed samples (510
per month) gill nets, 600seines, longline,
search time Caloosahatchee River and upper
harbor
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Sample areas

• 200 samples/yr
• 96 random
• 100 directed
• Search time 40-50 hrs/yr

Sawfish capture area
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Cape Coral
?
Caloosahatchee River
?
Number of sawfish
?
?
?
2006
Fort Myers
Capture locations Main stem of river and canals
n 85 (Feb 05Mar 08) (incl. 21 recaptures)
Sawfish have been caught in all months
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(No Transcript)
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Rostral sheath
2 April
29 November
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Movements
1) Passive monitoring a) Vemco VR2s b) 69
kHz
2) Active/Manual tracking a) Vemco VR100 b)
7584 kHz
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Acoustic receiver array
Main stem 34 VR2s
Canals 8 VR2s
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Acoustic receiver array
Main stem 34 VR2 stations
16.5 nm (2007)
7.5 nm (2005/2006)
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Canals 8 VR2 stations
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Cape Coral Canals
n 15 caught in canals (incl. 5 recaptures)
Residence times 1 dayover 1 year Most
stay in canals for long periods (months) with
short excursions into river and back One
caught in river and moved into canals
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Movements Cape Coral Canals
2088 (950 mm STL female) e.g., May 2007
only 2 excursions into river e.g., June 2007
over 20 excursions into river usually leaves
canals 212200 usually returns following day
to canals 010200 (gone 8 hr max)
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Movements Cape Coral Canals
920 (1.2 m STL female) e.g., Aug 2006 7
excursions into river e.g., Sept 2006 gone
for most of month e.g., Oct 2006 12
excursions into river usually leaves canals
212200, but gone 12 days (5 max)
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New acoustic array in Caloosahatchee
Re-distribution of VR2/VR2Ws Fall 2007
Goal determine time in main stem vs
canals/creeks
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Objectives
1) Intro/general highlights 2) Juvenile
growth 3) Sawfish health 4) Outreach update
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Juvenile growth
Data used length frequency and
tag-recapture Sources FWC, Mote, Rookery Bay
FDEP 19992006 sampling from CH to the Keys
Sexes and years pooled Manuscript in press at
JFB
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Juvenile growth
n 144 (range 6904,960 mm)
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Juvenile growth
Tag-recapture 26 recaptures (range 7752120
mm) Rapid growth in first 2 years, faster in
summer Year 1 650850 mm TL Year 2 480680
mm
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Objectives
1) Intro/general highlights 2) Juvenile
growth 3) Sawfish health 4) Outreach update
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Sawfish health
Original capture 16 January 2007
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Sawfish health
Recapture 9 February 2007
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Sawfish health
Recapture 13 March 2007 (for biopsy)
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a
l
a
a
e epidermis
d dermis
s denticle
a ampullae
arrows mucus cells
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s skin
l abnormal cells (leukocytic infiltration/tumor?
)
m previously damaged/healing skeletal muscle
s
l
l
l
m
l
1 mm
2x objective
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e epidermis
s
e
s denticle d dermis
d
sc
sc stratum compatum layer of dermis
l
l
l abnormal cells (leukocytic infiltration/tumor?
)
l
l
m skeletal muscle
m
200 µm
10x objective
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l abnormal cells (leukocytic infiltration/tumor?
)
arrows melanin
a artery
l
l
l
l
a
100 µm
20x objective
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Sawfish health
3 bacteria isolated (Gordonia sp.,
Psychrobacter sp., Corynebacterium sp.)
Tentative diagnosis round-cell tumor
Hypothesis most likely lymphoma (Jeff Wolf,
tumor expert) Cause viral?, exposure to
mutagen?, random genetic error?, genetic
predisposition? We are soliciting expert
opinions for consensus
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Objectives
1) Intro/general highlights 2) Juvenile
growth 3) Sawfish health 4) Outreach update
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From Guste (1997)Gulf Coast Fish A Cookbook
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Outreach
Permanent signs Brochures Education
Safe handling Reporting Statewide
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Sign postings (thru 3/08)
n 32 signs n 12 counties Priority
county Monroe (Keys)
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Outreach and Education
19 talks at angler meetings (775 attendees)
487 encounter interviews (687 sawfish) 13 data
requests (e.g., permit-related) Updated FWRI
web site (e.g., FWC research, new Cultural
Importance article) article in January 2008
Fishing Regs
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Future plans
Continue monitoring movements in
creeks/canals Habitat use and movement
analyses (Mote/FWC collaborations Chapters 1,
2, and 3) Genetics work (Field Museum/Pew
Inst./Mote/FWC collaboration) Deploy
satellite tags (NMFS/Mote/FWC collaboration)
Continue outreach and posting safe handling
signs Hg/contaminant work
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Acknowledgements
Shelley Norton (NMFS, St. Pete) Pat Opay
(NMFS, MD) John Carlson (NMFS, Panama
City) Luiz Barbieri (FWC, St. Pete) Bob
McMichael (FWC, St. Pete) Linda Torres
(FWC, Grants) Sarah Erickson (FWC, CH
lab) Brent Winner (FWC. St. Pete) Judith
Buhrman (FWC, Library) Catherine Billick
(FWC, web site) Noretta Perry
(histology) Yasunari Kiryu (fish health) Micah
Backenhaster (fish health) Amy Long (fish
health)
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Its a wild ride!...
(my daughter)