Background:

The Gulf of California possesses a high diversity of marine ichthyofauna while representing one of the main fishing areas in Mexico. The shark and ray fishery constitute an important economic and social importance.

Goals:

In the present study, the richness and relative abundance was estimated (expressed as CPUE), for 15 batoids species taken by the artisanal fisheries in the southern zone of the Espiritu Santo Island, State of B.C.S. from October 2013 to December 2015.

Methods:

Batoids were taxonomically identified to species level, measured, sexed and weighed and species richness calculated. Catch as CPUE was standardized to 100 m of gillnet per hour (x100 as a scaling factor) and evaluated among species and at different spatial scales (season, year, season per year and month).

Results:

A total of 2198 individuals were captured and comprised of four orders, 10 families, 10 genera, and 15 species. The nominal capture effort used was 27560 m of bottom-set gillnet and 1763 h submerged time. Four species, Rostroraja velezi, Pseudobatos glaucostigma, Urobatis maculatus and Mobula mobular, were added to the existing ichthyofauna listing for the Espiritu Santo Island. Additionally, Mobula munkiana and Hypanus dipterurus represented the highest contribution in abundance and weight during the time of this study. The first species is currently protected by national and international laws, whereas the latter is a commercially exploited species.

Conclusions:

The partial overlap of the highest CPUE values recorded in the warm season, with the fishing ban and the reproductive activity of some species in summer, could contribute as a population recovery effect if the fishing effort after the ban is regulated.