Cases of abnormal hermaphroditism in velvet belly Etmopterus spinax (Chondrichthyes: Etmopteridae) from the southern coast of Portugal

The authors described in this note three hermaphroditic specimens of the Velvet belly Etmopterus spinax (Linnaeus, 1758) captured off the southern coast of Portugal (Algarve), during commercial trawl fisheries. The concomitant presence of a pair of claspers and a normal and complete female reproductive system allowed considering these specimens as hermaphrodites. These three specimens are the first cases of hermaphroditism recorded in E. spinax to date and the second reported case of hermaphroditism in chondrichthyan species in Portuguese waters. The authors summarized and comment the different records of hermaphroditism known to date in sharks, pointing out that such a phenomenon is extremely rare within this group.