Abstract
Movement patterns and habitat use of juvenile lemon sharks Negaprion brevirostris were monitored at Atol das Rocas, Brazil, an atypical nursery area for this species, characterized by extreme tides and a lack of seagrass flats and mangroves. Twenty-three sharks carrying transmitters were monitored using an array of bottom-fixed automated receivers during 3 trips over a total of 60 d. Transmitters were recorded on receivers over 13 000 times, and the majority of sharks were detected more than 100 times. Newborn sharks (60 to 80 cm total length, TL) showed restricted but repeated movements between small tide pools on reef flats at low tide and a small, shallow, nearby tidal creek at high tide. Larger sharks (up to 106 cm TL) sampled 6 and 20 mo after the study in March 2000 frequented the tidal creek and several other locations at high tide and a variety of larger pools at low tide, and in general exhibited more extensive movements within the atoll than did newborn sharks. Sharks approaching 2 yr of age were generally observed in specific pools or shallow water locations within the atoll during high and low tides, but also expanded their movements to include more of the atoll. Throughout the study, young lemon sharks appeared to concentrate movements within shallow-water low-tide refuges and separate high tidal areas. Movement patterns of sharks in Atol das Rocas differ from those at other well-studied lemon shark nursery locations, where individuals continuously occupy shallow flats and mangrove habitats. Nevertheless, lemon sharks in general restrict their movements to shallow-water habitats regardless of the specific nursery area occupied. This behavior is most likely related to predator avoidance. This study provides an example of the interaction between the physical environment and the biology of animals - in this case, the influence of the physical characteristics of a nursery area and the behavioral ecology of young lemon sharks.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 283-293 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Marine Ecology Progress Series |
| Volume | 343 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 7 2007 |
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Keywords
- Movement patterns
- Predator avoidance
- Refuging
- Shark nurseries
- Tidal fluctuation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Aquatic Science
- Ecology
Cite this
Movement patterns of juvenile lemon sharks Negaprion brevirostris within Atol das Rocas, Brazil : A nursery characterized by tidal extremes. / Wetherbee, Bradley M.; Gruber, Samuel H.; Rosa, Ricardo S.
In: Marine Ecology Progress Series, Vol. 343, 07.08.2007, p. 283-293.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Movement patterns of juvenile lemon sharks Negaprion brevirostris within Atol das Rocas, Brazil
T2 - A nursery characterized by tidal extremes
AU - Wetherbee, Bradley M.
AU - Gruber, Samuel H.
AU - Rosa, Ricardo S.
PY - 2007/8/7
Y1 - 2007/8/7
N2 - Movement patterns and habitat use of juvenile lemon sharks Negaprion brevirostris were monitored at Atol das Rocas, Brazil, an atypical nursery area for this species, characterized by extreme tides and a lack of seagrass flats and mangroves. Twenty-three sharks carrying transmitters were monitored using an array of bottom-fixed automated receivers during 3 trips over a total of 60 d. Transmitters were recorded on receivers over 13 000 times, and the majority of sharks were detected more than 100 times. Newborn sharks (60 to 80 cm total length, TL) showed restricted but repeated movements between small tide pools on reef flats at low tide and a small, shallow, nearby tidal creek at high tide. Larger sharks (up to 106 cm TL) sampled 6 and 20 mo after the study in March 2000 frequented the tidal creek and several other locations at high tide and a variety of larger pools at low tide, and in general exhibited more extensive movements within the atoll than did newborn sharks. Sharks approaching 2 yr of age were generally observed in specific pools or shallow water locations within the atoll during high and low tides, but also expanded their movements to include more of the atoll. Throughout the study, young lemon sharks appeared to concentrate movements within shallow-water low-tide refuges and separate high tidal areas. Movement patterns of sharks in Atol das Rocas differ from those at other well-studied lemon shark nursery locations, where individuals continuously occupy shallow flats and mangrove habitats. Nevertheless, lemon sharks in general restrict their movements to shallow-water habitats regardless of the specific nursery area occupied. This behavior is most likely related to predator avoidance. This study provides an example of the interaction between the physical environment and the biology of animals - in this case, the influence of the physical characteristics of a nursery area and the behavioral ecology of young lemon sharks.
AB - Movement patterns and habitat use of juvenile lemon sharks Negaprion brevirostris were monitored at Atol das Rocas, Brazil, an atypical nursery area for this species, characterized by extreme tides and a lack of seagrass flats and mangroves. Twenty-three sharks carrying transmitters were monitored using an array of bottom-fixed automated receivers during 3 trips over a total of 60 d. Transmitters were recorded on receivers over 13 000 times, and the majority of sharks were detected more than 100 times. Newborn sharks (60 to 80 cm total length, TL) showed restricted but repeated movements between small tide pools on reef flats at low tide and a small, shallow, nearby tidal creek at high tide. Larger sharks (up to 106 cm TL) sampled 6 and 20 mo after the study in March 2000 frequented the tidal creek and several other locations at high tide and a variety of larger pools at low tide, and in general exhibited more extensive movements within the atoll than did newborn sharks. Sharks approaching 2 yr of age were generally observed in specific pools or shallow water locations within the atoll during high and low tides, but also expanded their movements to include more of the atoll. Throughout the study, young lemon sharks appeared to concentrate movements within shallow-water low-tide refuges and separate high tidal areas. Movement patterns of sharks in Atol das Rocas differ from those at other well-studied lemon shark nursery locations, where individuals continuously occupy shallow flats and mangrove habitats. Nevertheless, lemon sharks in general restrict their movements to shallow-water habitats regardless of the specific nursery area occupied. This behavior is most likely related to predator avoidance. This study provides an example of the interaction between the physical environment and the biology of animals - in this case, the influence of the physical characteristics of a nursery area and the behavioral ecology of young lemon sharks.
KW - Movement patterns
KW - Predator avoidance
KW - Refuging
KW - Shark nurseries
KW - Tidal fluctuation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34548425069&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=34548425069&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3354/meps06920
DO - 10.3354/meps06920
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:34548425069
VL - 343
SP - 283
EP - 293
JO - Marine Ecology - Progress Series
JF - Marine Ecology - Progress Series
SN - 0171-8630
ER -