Morphological analysis of trunks and fins of five commercial shark species landed on the Peruvian coast

-One of the challenges for conservation of elasmobranchs consists in their easy identification when they arrive to port. The conditions under which these organisms are landed force us to develop tools for their identification from their trunks and fins. This study aimed to analyze morphologically the trunks and fins of five commercial shark species that are caught by the artisanal fishery in Peru (Mustelus whitneyi, Mustelus mento, Triakis maculata, Sphyrna zygaena and Notorynchus cepedianus). Descriptions and a dichotomous key for their identification were prepared. Using the fins of juveniles, multivariate analyses were performed (correspondence analysis and PERMANOVA) in order to compare species. The results show that the morphological characters of the trunks and fins are effective for the identification of frequently commercialized sharks in Peru. The statistical analyses showed that there are differences among almost all the species studied with the exception in between T. maculata and M. whitneyi, and also between M. mento and S. zygaena. Using the characteristics of the fins, it is possible to separate N. cepedianus (due to its affinity with parameters a2 and c2) and M. mento (due to its affinity with parameter c1); demonstrating that quantitative data of the fins have the potential to identification of some species, but with limitations. Results will allow the development of identification guides for the most frequently captured species of incomplete sharks in the Peruvian coast. The results of the study provide the basis for the development of identification guides for the most frequently species of sharks caught with incomplete bodies off the Peruvian coast.