Results on main elasmobranch species captured in the bottom trawl surveys on the Northern Spanish Shelf

This working document presents the results on the most significant elasmobranch species captured in the Spanish Groundfish Survey on Northern Spanish shelf in 2014. The main species in decreasing order of biomass are Scyliorhinus canicula (Lesser spotted dogfish), Galeus melastomus (Blackmouth catshark), Etmopterus spinax (Velvet belly), Raja clavata (Thornback ray), Raja montagui (Spotted ray) and Leucoraja naevus (Cuckoo ray). Biomass, distribution and length ranges were analysed. The majority of the species showed a decrease in biomass with regard to 2013 when highest values of the time series were reached and a new vessel (R/V Miguel Oliver) was used. The results of this last survey, also on board of R/V Miguel Oliver, seem to return to the values previous to 2013. Introductio