Oceanography, Animal Science and Zoology, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Aquatic Science
90
Scopus Publications
2181
Scholar Citations
24
Scholar h-index
61
Scholar i10-index
Scopus Publications
A comprehensive overview of evolutionary relationships and geographic distributions of cownose rays: more valid taxa needing protective measures Yasmim Trindade C. Cunha, Renata Daldin Leite, Lucas Gabriel Pereira da Silva, Vanessa Paes Cruz, Jorge Luiz S. Nunes, et al. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 2026 Rays of the family Rhinopteridae Jordan & Evermann, 1896 are highly migratory and widely distributed in warm tropical and temperate waters. Along the Brazilian coast, the presence of two species has been recorded: Rhinoptera bonasus Mitchill, 1815 and Rhinoptera brasiliensis Müller, 1836. These stingrays are commonly caught as bycatch in trawl fisheries, however, the two species lack distinctive external morphological features that allow for reliable differentiation—species identification is primarily based on the shape and arrangement of teeth in the buccal plates. This study aimed to investigate the evolutionary history of the genus Rhinoptera and to explore which evolutionary drivers, such as biogeographic events or behavioral traits, have influenced its diversification. To achieve this, we analyzed both mitochondrial and nuclear genetic markers, focusing on the species occurring along the Brazilian coast. Specimens of both species were collected across various locations in Brazil, and additional sequences from other Rhinoptera species were obtained from GenBank. Our results reveal the presence of multiple cryptic species within Rhinoptera , particularly within R. bonasus , and likely in Rhinoptera steindachneri Evermann & Jenkins, 1891 and Rhinoptera javanica Müller & Henle, 1841. Notably, R. bonasus does not occur in Brazilian waters nor in parts of the Caribbean where a distinct cryptic sister lineage was identified. Based on our findings, we propose the resurrection of Rhinoptera lalandii Müller & Henle, 1841 as the species representing the lineage found along the Brazilian coast and the Eastern Atlantic Ocean. We suggest that philopatric behavior may represent one of several factors potentially influencing diversification within Rhinopteridae, although this hypothesis requires direct behavioral and population level validation. These findings highlight the urgent need for a comprehensive taxonomic revision of the family, as well as a reassessment of current conservation strategies to better reflect the hidden diversity within this group of species. Graphical abstract
Phylogeny of the Electric Rays of the Family Narcinidae (Gill, 1862): Systematic Review and Evidence of the Dispersal Routes to America Luis Fernando da Silva Rodrigues‐Filho, Richard Klein Castro Silva, Eduardo Lopes de Lima, Raquel Sicca‐Ramirez, Getúlio Rincon, et al. Aquatic Conservation Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 2026 The family Narcinidae has a cosmopolitan distribution; however, its systematic composition and phylogenetic position within Torpediniformes remain poorly understood. This study evaluates the evolutionary and biogeographic history of the family Narcinidae and investigates its distribution patterns using molecular systematics. We analyzed mitochondrial COI sequences from specimens collected along the American coast, combined with publicly available data (GenBank/BOLD) and inferred evolutionary patterns through genetic distance analyses, haplotype network reconstruction and species delimitation methods. Our results demonstrate that electric rays originated in the Central Indo‐Pacific realm and reveal two dispersal routes to the American. The first route was from the Central Indo‐Pacific to the Pacific Ocean and then the Caribbean Sea, prior to the closure of the Isthmus of Panama. The second route originated in the Central Indo‐Pacific, passed through South Africa and then crossed the Atlantic Ocean. The principal torpediniformes lineages diversified between the end of the Cretaceous and the early Palaeocene, with extant narcinid taxa diversifying between 25 and 20 Mya. The present study confirms the nonmonophyly of Narcinidae and corroborates the validity of the genus Narcinops , as well as the restriction of Narcine to American coastal environments. Additionally, three Atlantic species are documented and cryptic lineages are identified within Narcine entemedor and Narcine maculata . These findings improve taxonomic resolution, reveal hidden diversity and provide essential baseline data to support conservation planning, including the identification of management units, prioritization of vulnerable populations and the implementation of more effective monitoring and protection measures for electric rays.
Beyond Hard Parts: Metabarcoding Advances Dietary Resolution in Threatened Amazonian Elasmobranchs Alan Érik S. Rodrigues, Cintia Oliveira Carvalho, Jorge Luiz S. Nunes, Rafaela Maria S. Brito, Marcelo Ândrade, et al. Aquatic Conservation Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 2026 Elasmobranchs are highly vulnerable and are considered one of the most threatened vertebrates worldwide. Insights into diet can improve conservation measures. The bias of traditional morphological methods towards taxa with distinctive hard parts makes metabarcoding analysis a complementary tool to assess diet composition. Here, we analysed the diet of three threatened elasmobranchs ( Carcharhinus oxyrhynchus , Pristis pristis and Pseudobatus percellens ) from the southern Amazon coastal region using specimens from bycatch with a multimarker metabarcoding approach targeting COXI , 12S rRNA and 16S rRNA. The COXI recovered the greatest variety of OTUs, whereas the 12S rRNA identified the highest number of fish OTUs and the 16S rRNA was less representative. For the analysed individuals, P. percellens exhibited a broad diet spanning shrimp, demersal fish and estuarine species, while P. pristis had only three fish species as prey and C. oxyrhynchus presented four prey OTUs, all associated with fish. Our results revealed clear dietary signals and were consistent with the expected capacity of each marker to recover different chordate and invertebrate groups. The studied stomach contents exhibited a predominantly piscivorous diet for the C. oxyrhynchus and P. pristis samples and a more generalist‐opportunistic diet for the P. percellens samples. Although based on few samples from a single region and limited reference databases, our analysis still provides meaningful dietary insights for these threatened species. Overall, our findings provide additional information on the diet of these endangered elasmobranchs in this biodiversity hotspot and highlight the importance of molecular analyses in dietary studies, improving the resolution of trophic relationships and disentangling the role of elasmobranchs in aquatic ecosystems.
A new species of Eudactylina van Beneden, 1853 (Siphonostomatoida: Eudactylinidae) parasitic on the Longnose stingray, Hypanus guttatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) (Myliobatiformes: Dasyatidae) from the Brazilian Amazon Coast João Victor Couto, Jorge Luiz Silva Nunes, Felipe Bisaggio Pereira, Fabiano Paschoal Marine Biodiversity, 2026 A new species of Eudactylina (Siphonostomatoida: Eudactylinidae) was found parasitizing the gills of the longnose stingray Hypanus guttatus (Bloch & Schneider) from the Brazilian Amazon coast. Fieldwork was conducted at the Municipality of Raposa, State of Maranhão, Brazil, where specimens of H. guttatus were acquired from local fishermen. Copepods were recovered from the gill lamellae and fixed in 80% ethanol for morphological analysis. Detailed examination was performed using light and scanning electron microscopy. Eudactylina amazonica sp. nov. can be distinguished from its congeners by a unique combination of morphological features including intersomitic ornamentation, morphology of the rostrum and segmentation and armature of legs. The present study represents the first record of an eudactylinid copepod along the Brazilian coastline, and a novel report of H. guttatus as host of these parasites. In addition, a list of parasitic copepods on elasmobranchs in Brazil is presented, which documents how poorly sampled and understudied these highly diverse organisms are in the country. These results provide new data to the baseline knowledge of parasite biodiversity in a sensitive and biodiverse region, and highlight the need for further parasitological surveys on elasmobranchs in South America.
Scientiometric analysis of the capture of elasmobranchs as bycatch off the Amazon coast Tiago Sousa Farias, Jorge Luiz Silva Nunes, João Bráullio de Luna Sales, Luis Fernando da Silva Rodrigues Filho Boletim do Instituto De Pesca, 2026 Fisheries impact aquatic resources, with many species taken as bycatch, and thus represent a global threat to many species, in prticular, the elasmobranchs. Given the lack of reliable bycatch data, this study conducted a systematic review in four scientific databases to identify publications addressing elasmobranch bycatch along the Amazon coast. Between 2002 and 2022, 27 studies were published, docummenting the bycatch 28 sharks and 14 rays species. The literature search revealed an increase in the frequency of publication after 2015, with Brazil dominating the research output, while neighboring countries contributed limited data. Most studies involved trawling, while gillnet and longline fisheries were poorly represented. Worldwide, 78.0% of sharks and 57.0% of rays are classified as threatened. The review reveals persistent problems, including deficiencies in the identification, delays in data publication, and weak monitoring and enforcement. These findings emphasize the urgent need for improved research coverage, monitoring, and conservations actions.
Fecal Contamination in an Amazonian Macrotidal Beach Osmar Luis Silva Vasconcelos, Luciana da Silva Bastos, Jamerson Aguiar-Santos, Maria Célia Cesar Fonseca, Greiciene dos Santos de Jesus, et al. Thalassas, 2025
Predation Strategies of the Portuguese Man-of-War Physalia physalis Jorge L. S. Nunes, Diego S. Campos, Héllida Negrão Dias, Luiz P. N. e Silva, Denise M. R. F. Bastos, et al. Marine Ecology, 2025 The Portuguese man‐of‐war Physalia physalis is widely known for causing poisoning on human beings. Physalia physalis is mostly described as a predator of fish eggs and larvae. Here, we report for the first time that large fish can also be preyed by P. physalis . We present two hypotheses for the hunting strategies used, that we denominate fishing and scanning. In both strategies, P. physalis makes use of the tentacles to either to attract or to hunt fishes in the water column and in the bottom. We suggest that these could be common and efficient foraging strategies of P. physalis .
Brazilian mangroves at risk Felipe Polivanov Ottoni, Robert M. Hughes, Axel Makay Katz, Filipe da Silva Rangel-Pereira, Pedro Henrique Negreiros de Bragança, et al. Biota Neotropica, 2021
Range extension of Gasteropelecus sternicla (Characiformes) for three coastal river basins of the Eastern Amazon region as well as for the Itacaiunas River drainage of the Tocantins River basin Cybium, 2017
Fish aggregating known as moita, an artisanal fishing technique performed in the munim river, state of Maranhão, Nrazil Boletim do Instituto De Pesca, 2014
Use of tide pools as a spawning site by the bocon toadfish Amphichthys cryptocentrus (Batrachoidiformes: Batrachoididae), state of Maranhão, Brazil Cybium, 2013
Phylogenetic and ecological inference of three Halichoeres (Perciformes: Labridae) species through geometric morphometries Cybium, 2008
RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
09h00 RECEÇÃO DOS CONVIDADOS R Rio, A Cunha, A Figueiredo, C Duarte, J Marrana, J Nunes, MR Silva, ... International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory , 2030 2030
A comprehensive overview of evolutionary relationships and geographic distributions of cownose rays: more valid taxa needing protective measures YTC Cunha, RD Leite, LG Pereira da Silva, VP Cruz, JLS Nunes, ... Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 36 (1), 37 , 2026 2026 Citations: 2
Correction to: First record of Rhinoptera brasiliensis (Myliobatiformes, Rhinopteridae) for the state of Maranhão, Brazilian Amazon Coast HN Dias, J Aguiar-Santos, KKF Coelho, RMS De Brito, APB Martins, ... Thalassas: An International Journal of Marine Sciences 42 (2), 62 , 2026 2026
A new species of Eudactylina van Beneden, 1853 (Siphonostomatoida: Eudactylinidae) parasitic on the Longnose stingray, Hypanus guttatus (Bloch & Schneider … JV Couto, JLS Nunes, FB Pereira, F Paschoal Marine Biodiversity 56 (2), 22 , 2026 2026
First Record of Rhinoptera Brasiliensis (Myliobatiformes, Rhinopteridae) for the State of Maranhão, Brazilian Amazon Coast First Rhinoptera Brasiliensis Record for Maranhão, BAC HN Dias, J Aguiar-Santos, KKF Coelho, RMS De Brito, APB Martins, ... Thalassas: An International Journal of Marine Sciences 42 (1), 49 , 2026 2026
Influence of the structural complexity of phytal substrates on intertidal meiofaunal community structure in a tropical system (NE Brazil) MEM Santos, RG Bonfim, RLF Paiva, JLS Nunes Community Ecology, 1-10 , 2026 2026
Scientiometric analysis of the capture of elasmobranchs as bycatch off the Amazon coast TS Farias, JLS Nunes, JBL Sales, LFS Rodrigues Filho Boletim do Instituto de Pesca 52, e975 , 2026 2026
Análise cienciométrica sobre captura de elasmobrânquios como fauna acompanhante no litoral Amazônico TS Farias, JLS Nunes, JBL Sales, LFS Rodrigues Filho Boletim do Instituto de Pesca 52, e975 , 2026 2026
Fecal Contamination in an Amazonian Macrotidal Beach OLS Vasconcelos, LS Bastos, J Aguiar-Santos, MCC Fonseca, ... Thalassas: An International Journal of Marine Sciences 41 (4), 241 , 2025 2025
An enteric microbiota assessment in sharks and rays from the Brazilian Amazon Coast (Jan, 10.1007/s10641-025-01666-y, 2025) IC Costa, S Siciliano, RA Hauser-Davis, N Wosnick, G Rincon, EM Roges, ... ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY OF FISHES 108 (11), 1921-1923 , 2025 2025
Correction to: An enteric microbiota assessment in sharks and rays from the Brazilian Amazon Coast IC Costa, S Siciliano, RA Hauser‑Davis, N Wosnick, G Rincon, EM Roges, ... Environmental Biology of Fishes 108 (11), 1921-1923 , 2025 2025
Predation Strategies of the Portuguese Man‐of‐War Physalia physalis JLS Nunes, DS Campos, HN Dias, LPN Silva, DMRF Bastos, T Giarrizzo, ... Marine Ecology 46 (6), e70065 , 2025 2025
Salinity-driven habitat use of marine-estuarine batoids on the Amazon Coast ARO Palmeira-Nunes, R de Souza Rosa, JLS Nunes, NM Piorski, ... Environmental Biology of Fishes 108 (11), 1763-1782 , 2025 2025 Citations: 4
An enteric microbiota assessment in sharks and rays from the Brazilian Amazon Coast IC Costa, S Siciliano, RA Hauser-Davis, N Wosnick, G Rincon, EM Roges, ... Environmental Biology of Fishes 108 (11), 1909-1920 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
Revitalizing Brazil’s ‘ghost’Conservation Units through Management Plans and Councils NR Ribeiro, PSDE Araújo, FC Sousa, RMDEME Silva, JS Lima, ... Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências 97 (4), e20241484 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Restricted to oceanic and coastal islands? The absence of lemon sharks ( Negaprion brevirostris ) along the Brazilian coast JV Calenzani, JLS Nunes, TLA Costa, B Jucá-Queiroz, J Santander-Neto Neotropical Ichthyology 23 (03), e240123 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Geographical variation in mitogenomes of the largetooth sawfish Pristis pristis: challenges and perspectives for conservation efforts AÉS Rodrigues, RMS Brito, P Charvet, VV Faria, M Cabanillas-Torpoco, ... Global Ecology and Conservation, e03757 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
Associations between metals and metalloids, oxidative stress and genotoxicity in nurse sharks Ginglymostoma cirratum from the Brazilian Amazon Coast MB Marques, EVF Reis, PFP Gonzaga, J Aguiar-Santos, VB Pedrosa, ... Science of The Total Environment 981, 179530 , 2025 2025 Citations: 4
Invasive lionfish spread through southwestern atlantic marine protected areas MO Soares, PHC Pereira, EF Rabelo, CLS Sampaio, A de Lima Xavier, ... Marine Environmental Research 208, 107099 , 2025 2025 Citations: 3
MICROMar Project: The Largest Standardized Assessment of Microplastic Pollution Across Southwestern Atlantic Coastal Ecosystems. T Giarrizzo, RG Santos, JA Reis‐Filho, JE Martinelli Filho, ND Barbosa, ... Limnology & Oceanography Bulletin 34 (2) , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
DNA-based identification reveals illegal trade of threatened shark species in a global elasmobranch conservation hotspot LM Feitosa, APB Martins, T Giarrizzo, W Macedo, IL Monteiro, ... Scientific reports 8 (1), 3347 , 2018 2018 Citations: 150
Anthropogenic litter on Brazilian beaches: Baseline, trends and recommendations for future approaches R Andrades, T Pegado, BS Godoy, JA Reis-Filho, JLS Nunes, AC Grillo, ... Marine pollution bulletin 151, 110842 , 2020 2020 Citations: 101
Ingestion of microplastics by hypanus guttatus stingrays in the Western Atlantic Ocean (Brazilian Amazon Coast) T Pegado, L Brabo, K Schmid, F Sarti, TT Gava, J Nunes, D Chelazzi, ... Marine pollution bulletin 162, 111799 , 2021 2021 Citations: 87
Analysis of the supply chain and conservation status of sharks (Elasmobranchii: Superorder Selachimorpha) based on fisher knowledge APB Martins, LM Feitosa, RP Lessa, ZS Almeida, M Heupel, WM Silva, ... PloS one 13 (3), e0193969 , 2018 2018 Citations: 77
Negative metal bioaccumulation impacts on systemic shark health and homeostatic balance N Wosnick, Y Niella, N Hammerschlag, AP Chaves, RA Hauser-Davis, ... Marine Pollution Bulletin 168, 112398 , 2021 2021 Citations: 72
The silent threat of non-native fish in the Amazon: ANNF database and review CRC Doria, E Agudelo, A Akama, B Barros, M Bonfim, L Carneiro, ... Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 9, 646702 , 2021 2021 Citations: 72
Diversity patterns of reef fish along the Brazilian tropical coast ME de Araújo, FMG de Mattos, FPL de Melo, LCT Chaves, CV Feitosa, ... Marine Environmental Research 160, 105038 , 2020 2020 Citations: 57
Molecular identification of ray species traded along the Brazilian Amazon coast LF da Silva Rodrigues Filho, LM Feitosa, JLS Nunes, ARO Palmeira, ... Fisheries Research 223, 105407 , 2020 2020 Citations: 56
Invasion of the indo-pacific blenny Omobranchus punctatus (Perciformes: Blenniidae) on the Atlantic coast of central and south America O Lasso-Alcalá, JLS Nunes, C Lasso, J Posada, R Robertson, NM Piorski, ... Neotropical Ichthyology 9, 571-578 , 2011 2011 Citations: 51
Sawfish (Pristidae) records along the Eastern Amazon coast LM Feitosa, APB Martins, JLS Nunes Endangered Species Research 34, 229-234 , 2017 2017 Citations: 44
Thin films with chemically graded functionality based on fluorine polymers and stainless steel AP Piedade, J Nunes, MT Vieira Acta Biomaterialia 4 (4), 1073-1080 , 2008 2008 Citations: 38
Análise comparativa da pesca de curral na ilha de São Luís, estado do Maranhão, Brasil. NM Piorsk, SS Serpa, JLS Nunes Arquivo de Ciências do Mar , 2009 2009 Citations: 36
Nurse sharks, space rockets and cargo ships: Metals and oxidative stress in a benthic, resident and large-sized mesopredator, Ginglymostoma cirratum N Wosnick, AP Chaves, RD Leite, JLS Nunes, TD Saint’Pierre, IQ Willmer, ... Environmental Pollution 288, 117784 , 2021 2021 Citations: 35
Sexual dimorphism of sharks from the amazonian equatorial coast AP Barbosa Martins, E da Silva Filho, L Manir Feitosa, LP Nunes e Silva, ... Universitas Scientiarum 20 (3), 297-304 , 2015 2015 Citations: 33
Presencia de Urotrygon microphthalmum (Elasmobranchii: Urolophidae) en aguas bajas de Maranhao (Brasil) y notas sobre su biología ZS Almeida, JS Nunes, CL Costa Boletín de investigaciones marinas y costeras 29 (1), 67-72 , 2000 2000 Citations: 30
Determination of metals in estuarine fishes in a metropolitan region of the coastal zone of the Brazilian Amazon MHL Silva, ACL de Castro, IS da Silva, PFP Cabral, ... Marine Pollution Bulletin 186, 114477 , 2023 2023 Citations: 29
Near‐term embryos in a Pristis pristis (Elasmobranchii: Pristidae) from Brazil JLS Nunes, G Rincon, NM Piorski, APB Martins Journal of Fish Biology 89 (1), 1112-1120 , 2016 2016 Citations: 28
Revisão sobre a diversidade, ameaças e conservação dos elasmobrânquios do Maranhão N Wosnick, A Nunes, LM Feitosa, KKF Coelho, RMS Brito, APB Martins, ... Tópicos Integrados de Zoologia. Ponta Grossa, Atena Editora. p, 44-54 , 2019 2019 Citations: 27
Raias capturadas pela pesca artesanal em águas rasas do Maranhão-Brasil JLS Nunes, ZS Almeida, NM Piorski Arquivo de Ciências do Mar , 2005 2005 Citations: 27