Introduction to the special issue on elasmobranch behaviour and cognition

Abstract

Behaviour was inspired by a perceived need to showcase the complexity of the actions displayed by elasmobranchs, including their cognition and subjective states. With the rise of the shark fin trade at the same time as 90% of traditional fish stocks were depleted by overfishing, sharks, chimaeras, and rays have become the most lucrative fishing targets around the globe. At the same time, media hype and nature horror shows featuring sharks as the demons of the human imagination, have raised a barrier to their conservation. The result is that with little public protest, those accessible to fishing fleets are declining towards extinction and their status is worse than any other class of vertebrates (for a review, see Porcher & Darvell, 2022). Media hype has also facilitated the spread of misinformation about sharks, so that in spite of a wealth of scientific findings to the contrary, the complexity of their mental capacities remains little known. Most people still think of sharks as having a binary mind that tells them only whether or not to bite. But that is not the case. In response to the guest editors' call for papers relating to the behaviour of elasmobranchs, authors from around the globe responded with articles describing a wide range of compelling behaviour. We are therefore pleased to present this Special Issue presenting new information about the behaviour of these still little-known aquatic denizens, much of