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Movement patterns of juvenile lemon sharks Negaprion brevirostris within Atol das Rocas, Brazil: a nursery characterized by tidal extremes

2007; Inter-Research; Volume: 343; Linguagem: Inglês

10.3354/meps06920

1616-1599

BM Wetherbee, SH Gruber, Ricardo de Souza Rosa,

Marine and fisheries research

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 343:283-293 (2007) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps06920 Movement patterns of juvenile lemon sharks Negaprion brevirostris within Atol das Rocas, Brazil: a nursery characterized by tidal extremes Bradley M. Wetherbee1,*, Samuel H. Gruber2, Ricardo S. Rosa3 1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, 100 Flagg Road, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881, USA 2Division of Marine Biology and Fisheries, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, Florida 33149-1098, USA 3Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, CCEN, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa–PB, CEP 58059-900, Brazil *Email: wetherbee@uri.edu 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 13000 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. KEY WORDS: Shark nurseries · Tidal fluctuation · Refuging · Movement patterns · Predator avoidance Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Wetherbee BM, Gruber SH, Rosa RS (2007) Movement patterns of juvenile lemon sharks Negaprion brevirostris within Atol das Rocas, Brazil: a nursery characterized by tidal extremes. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 343:283-293. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps06920 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 343. Online publication date: August 07, 2007 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2007 Inter-Research.