Seasonality, behaviour and philopatry of spotted ragged‑tooth sharks<i>Carcharias taurus</i>in Eastern Cape nursery areas, South Africa

Smale, M. J.; Dicken, ML; Booth, Anthony J.

doi:10.2989/1814232x.2015.1043342

Cited by 6 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 39 publications

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“…Besides Langebaan and Coega, important aggregation sites that are used by M. mustelus repeatedly over the years also include False Bay, Cape Agulhas/Struisbaai and Mossel Bay. All these locations are characterized by relatively protected, shallow bays and estuaries that are increasingly reported to function as important habitat for foraging, mating or breeding in a number of coastal shark species (Dicken, 2008;Jewell et al, 2013;Klein, 2019;Kock et al, 2013;Kuguru et al, 2019;Smale et al, 2015;Smale & Compagno, 1997). The protection of these areas and possible nurseries will therefore benefit not only M. mustelus but other exploited elasmobranchs and the associated ecosystem.…”

Section: Fish Fishmentioning

confidence: 99%

Site fidelity and shallow genetic structure in the common smooth‐hound shark Mustelus mustelus confirmed by tag‐recapture and genetic data

Klein

Asbury

Silva³

et al. 2021

Journal of Fish Biology

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The common smooth-hound shark, Mustelus mustelus, is a widely distributed demersal shark under heavy exploitation from various fisheries throughout its distribution range. To assist in the development of appropriate management strategies, the authors evaluate stock structure, site fidelity and movement patterns along the species' distribution in southern Africa based on a combination of molecular and long-term tag-recapture data. Eight species-specific microsatellite markers (N = 73) and two mitochondrial genes, nicotinamide adenine dehydrogenase subunit 4 and control region (N = 45), did not reveal any significant genetic structure among neighbouring sites. Nonetheless, tagging data demonstrate a remarkable degree of site fidelity with 76% of sharks recaptured within 50 km of the original tagging location. On a larger geographic scale, dispersal is governed by oceanographic features as demonstrated by the lack of movements across the Benguela-Agulhas transition zone separating the South-East Atlantic Ocean (SEAO) and South-West Indian Ocean (SWIO) populations. Microsatellite data supported very shallow ocean-based structure (SEAO and SWIO) and historical southward gene flow following the Agulhas Current, corroborating the influence of this dynamic oceanographic system on gene flow. Moreover, no movements between Namibia and South Africa were observed, indicating that the Lüderitz upwelling formation off the Namibian coast acts as another barrier to dispersal and gene flow. Overall, these results show that dispersal and stock structure of M. mustelus are governed by a combination of behavioural traits and oceanographic features such as steep temperature gradients, currents and upwelling systems.

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Section: Fish Fishmentioning

confidence: 99%

Site fidelity and shallow genetic structure in the common smooth‐hound shark Mustelus mustelus confirmed by tag‐recapture and genetic data

Klein

Asbury

Silva³

et al. 2021

Journal of Fish Biology

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Reproductive philopatry in a coastal shark drives age-related population structure

et al. 2019

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Novel use of global occurrence data to indirectly predict suitable habitats for widely distributed marine species in data-scarce regions

De Wysiecki,

Barnett,

Sánchez-Carnero

et al. 2024

Preprint

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This study addresses the challenge of advancing habitat use knowledge of widely distributed marine species populations when regional data is scarce. To achieve this, we use an innovative approach based on ecological niche models (ENMs) calibrated with global presence data to estimate the global niche of species, allowing for indirect predictions of suitable habitats and potential distribution in one or more regions of interest. The method leverages a range of global occurrence records, including scientific papers, government data, biodiversity repositories, and citizen science contributions, to overcome regional data scarcity, which are then integrated with environmental variables to predict habitat suitability. As a case study, we apply this method to predict suitable habitats of copper (Carcharhinus brachyurus) and sand tiger (Carcharias taurus) sharks in the Southwest Atlantic, two species of conservation concern in a region with limited data. Suitable habitats for both species were predicted, information required to guide conservation efforts. Environmental factors were key to shaping predicted distribution patterns of these large predatory sharks, aligning with previous knowledge and historical records of their latitudinal ranges. The results have significant implications for the conservation planning and sustainable management of shark populations in the Southwest Atlantic, contributing to broader efforts of marine biodiversity preservation. Additionally, the study highlights the potential of ENMs to identify essential habitats even in the absence of effort data, underscoring their value in marine conservation. This study not only advances the use of niche modelling in marine systems but also demonstrates its applicability for area-based conservation initiatives, particularly in data-poor regions.

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Seasonality, behaviour and philopatry of spotted ragged‑tooth sharksCarcharias taurusin Eastern Cape nursery areas, South Africa

Cited by 6 publications

References 39 publications

Site fidelity and shallow genetic structure in the common smooth‐hound shark Mustelus mustelus confirmed by tag‐recapture and genetic data

Site fidelity and shallow genetic structure in the common smooth‐hound shark Mustelus mustelus confirmed by tag‐recapture and genetic data

Reproductive philopatry in a coastal shark drives age-related population structure

Novel use of global occurrence data to indirectly predict suitable habitats for widely distributed marine species in data-scarce regions

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