Evaluation of the use of portable ultrasonography to determine pregnancy status and fecundity in bonnethead shark Sphyrna tiburo.

摘要: This study examined the usefulness of portable ultrasonography in accurately predicting pregnancy and fecundity bonnethead shark Sphyrna tiburo by comparing ultrasound-obtained data with those obtained from animal dissection, gold standard for elasmobranch reproduction studies. Mature female S. (n = 66) were collected throughout period via using two different ultrasound transducers (8-5 MHz linear array transducer a 5.0-2.5 curvilinear transducer) to determine status fecundity. Ultrasound-derived compared validated assessments litter size dissection level agreement between approaches. Overall, there was strong (90.9%) determinations dissection. However, effectiveness determining specific stages maturity differed slightly types (linear 61.3%; 88.9%). Measurements also agreed well no significant differences mean estimates methods. In general, found be good alternative lethal sampling obtaining reproductive critical management conservation elasmobranchs. Special attention should given factors that can influence reliability ultrasound-derived such as type, embryo sound wave interference due gut contents.