Estimating the Total and Precaudal Lengths of the Main Shark Species from Interdorsal Measurements in the Eastern-Central Pacific Ocean

In this work, the total-interdorsal length and precaudal-interdorsal length relationships for 16 species of sharks in the eastern-central Pacific Ocean are presented. Sampling was carried out during 2019 at the artisanal landing site of Playita Mía, located in the city of Manta, province of Manabí, Ecuador. A simple linear regression model was used to obtain these relationships, and the coefficient of determination was used to assess goodness of fit. A total of 3 606 sharks from 16 different species were used to obtain the total-interdorsal length relationship. For the precaudal-interdorsal length relationship, measurements from 1 957 sharks from 14 species were used. The goodness of fit was satisfactory for most species. This information is important because it allows us to reconstruct mutilated shark carcasses, which are common in commercial landings in Ecuador. Once reconstructed, the information from these sharks can be used in life history studies (e.g., age and growth, maturity), which inform population models. Therefore, this information can help improve shark management in the Ecuadorian Pacific.