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Finucci B, Chin C, O'Neill HL, White WT, Pinkerton MH. First observation of a skate egg case nursery in the Ross Sea. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2024; 104:1645-1650. [PMID: 38402691 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Areas of importance to Southern Ocean skates are poorly defined. Here, we identify a deepwater skate egg case nursery in a discrete location at ~460 m depth off Cape Adare in the Southern Ocean. This is the first confirmed observation of a skate nursery area in the Ross Sea and only the second observation for the Southern Ocean. The morphology and size of the egg cases were consistent with the genus Bathyraja and most likely belong to the Bathyraja sp. (cf. eatonii). The nursery occurs within the "no take" General Protection Zone of the Ross Sea region marine protected area, where commercial fishing is prohibited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany Finucci
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Caroline Chin
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Helen L O'Neill
- CSIRO National Research Collections Australia-Australian National Fish Collection, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - William T White
- CSIRO National Research Collections Australia-Australian National Fish Collection, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Matthew H Pinkerton
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), Wellington, New Zealand
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2
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McAllister M, Fraser S, Henry LA. Population ecology and juvenile density hotspots of thornback ray (Raja clavata) around the Shetland Islands, Scotland. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2024; 104:576-589. [PMID: 37934068 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Elasmobranchs are facing global decline, and so there is a pressing need for research into their populations to inform effective conservation and management strategies. Little information exists on the population ecology of skate species around the British Isles, presenting an important knowledge gap that this study aimed to reduce. The population ecology of thornback ray (Raja clavata) around the Shetland Islands, Scotland, was investigated in two habitats: inshore (50-150 m deep) and shallow coastal (20-50 m deep), from 2011 to 2022, and 2017 to 2022, respectively. Using trawl survey data from the annual Shetland Inshore Fish Survey, the size composition of R. clavata catches was compared between shallow and inshore habitats across 157 trawl sets, and 885 individuals, over the years 2017-2022. Catch per unit effort (CPUE) of R. clavata was significantly higher in shallow than that in inshore areas (ANOVA, F = 72.52, df = 1, 5, p < 0.001). Size composition also significantly differed between the two habitats (analysis of similarities, R = 0.96, p = 0.002), with R. clavata being smaller in shallow areas and juveniles (<60 cm) occurring more frequently. Spatial distribution maps confirmed density hotspots of juveniles in shallow habitats, with repeated use of certain locations consistent over time. The results of this study provide the first evidence for R. clavata using shallow areas for potential nurseries in Shetland, which can inform the IUCN's Important Shark and Ray Area process. Furthermore, this study provides important new population ecology information for R. clavata around Shetland, which may have important conservation implications and be valuable for informing species and fisheries stock assessments in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mia McAllister
- Marine Science Department, UHI Shetland, University of the Highlands and Islands, Scalloway Campus, Shetland, UK
| | - Shaun Fraser
- Marine Science Department, UHI Shetland, University of the Highlands and Islands, Scalloway Campus, Shetland, UK
| | - Lea-Anne Henry
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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3
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Maguire K, O'Neill H, Althaus F, White W, Williams A. Seamount coral reefs are egg case nurseries for deep-sea skates. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2023; 102:1455-1469. [PMID: 36960821 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Egg case nurseries of the boreal skate (Amblyraja hyperborea) and Richardson's skate (Bathyraja richardsoni) were defined and mapped on a bathyal seascape (c. 500-1900 m depths) south of Tasmania, Australia, using 99 towed-camera transects (157 linear km; N = 50,858 images). In total, 738 skate egg cases were observed (present in 240 images, absent in 50,618); among 113 egg cases examined to identify parent species, 70% were A. hyperborea, 10% B. richardsoni and 20% unidentified Bathyraja species. "Recently laid" egg cases were differentiated from "aged" ones by classifying their colour and condition. The great majority (98%) of egg cases were observed in c. 1100-1400 m depths on seamounts (15 of 36 surveyed), not seamount bases or adjacent continental slope. Egg cases were associated with reefs formed by accumulated skeletal matrix of the stony coral Solenosmilia variabilis, with >90% egg cases (including most of those recently laid) observed on living S. variabilis that characterises a "coral zone" in c. 950-1350 m depths. Water in the coral zone is warmer (+0.66 to 2.37°C) than at the deep distributional limits of adult A. hyperborea and B. richardsoni (2000 and 3000 m, respectively), potentially providing for accelerated embryonic development. Co-occurrence with living coral infers an energetically favourable local-scale hydrodynamic environment for egg cases, particularly on seamount peaks, where increased water flow over egg cases would avert smothering by suspended sediment, and compensate for lower oxygen concentration compared to deeper depths occupied by adult skates. Criteria identifying egg case nurseries are strongly met for A. hyperborea at Seamount Z110 (468 egg cases of varied ages, maximum density of 5.47 m-2 ) and to a lesser extent on five others (Seamounts K1, Z16, Hill U, Z5 and Hill V). An abundance (density) criterion for defining nurseries needs to be flexible because it is a spatially scale-dependent measure that differs between surveys according to the tools and design employed. Off Australia, coral reef egg case nursery habitat is restricted to a narrow depth range in temperate latitudes where it is scarce and impacted by historical bottom trawl fishing in many locations. There has been effective conservation of nursery habitat, however, because four of the six nursery sites identified here and extensive coral reef areas are protected within marine parks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kylie Maguire
- CSIRO Environment, Battery Point, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Helen O'Neill
- CSIRO NCMI, Battery Point, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | | | - William White
- CSIRO NCMI, Battery Point, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Alan Williams
- CSIRO Environment, Battery Point, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
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4
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Chin A, Molloy FJ, Cameron D, Day JC, Cramp J, Gerhardt KL, Heupel MR, Read M, Simpfendorfer CA. Conceptual frameworks and key questions for assessing the contribution of marine protected areas to shark and ray conservation. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2023; 37:e13917. [PMID: 35435294 PMCID: PMC10107163 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are key tools in addressing the global decline of sharks and rays, and marine parks and shark sanctuaries of various configurations have been established to conserve shark populations. However, assessments of their efficacy are compromised by inconsistent terminology, lack of standardized approaches to assess how MPAs contribute to shark and ray conservation, and ambiguity about how to integrate movement data in assessment processes. We devised a conceptual framework to standardize key terms (e.g., protection, contribution, potential impact, risk, threat) and used the concept of portfolio risk to identify key attributes of sharks and rays (assets), the threats they face (portfolio risk), and the specific role of MPAs in risk mitigation (insurance). Movement data can be integrated into the process by informing risk exposure and mitigation through MPAs. The framework is operationalized by posing 8 key questions that prompt practitioners to consider the assessment scope, MPA type and purpose, range of existing and potential threats, species biology and ecology, and management and operational contexts. Ultimately, MPA contributions to shark and ray conservation differ according to a complex set of human and natural factors and interactions that should be carefully considered in MPA design, implementation, and evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Chin
- Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and AquacultureJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
- IUCN Shark Specialist GroupGlandSwitzerland
- Australian Institute of Marine ScienceTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Fergus John Molloy
- Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and AquacultureJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park AuthorityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Darren Cameron
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park AuthorityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Jon C. Day
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef StudiesJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Jessica Cramp
- Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and AquacultureJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef StudiesJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
- Sharks PacificRarotongaCook Islands
| | - Karin Leeann Gerhardt
- Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and AquacultureJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Michelle R. Heupel
- Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS)University of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Mark Read
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park AuthorityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Colin A. Simpfendorfer
- Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and AquacultureJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
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5
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Grigorov IV, Kivva KK, Orlov AM. The Aleutians and Beyond: Distribution, Size Composition, and Catch Dynamics of the Aleutian Skate Bathyraja aleutica across the North Pacific. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:3507. [PMID: 36552428 PMCID: PMC9774337 DOI: 10.3390/ani12243507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The results of long-term (1948-2021) studies on the spatial and vertical distribution, dynamics of abundance, and size composition of the Aleutian skate Bathyraja aleutica in the North Pacific Ocean are presented. Maximum densities of this species were characteristic of the eastern Bering Sea slope, off the central Aleutian Islands, consisting of the Pacific waters off southeastern Kamchatka and the northern Kurils, and northeastern Sakhalin. This species was most abundant at depths of 100-600 m; in the cold months, B. aleutica migrates to greater depths for over-wintering, and in warm months it feeds at shallower depths. Bathyraja aleutica was most common at the bottom, at temperatures around 3 °C. The total length of individuals ranged from 9.6-170 cm, with a predominance of skates with a length of 50-100 cm. Males did not differ significantly from females in body weight and length. The maximum values of the condition factor were typical for the autumn-winter period. Across years, there was an increase in Aleutian skate catch rates from the western Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk, and a decrease in the Pacific waters off the Kuril Islands and Kamchatka, as well as in Alaskan waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor V. Grigorov
- Fish Breeding Division, Central Branch of the Federal State-Funded Institution “Glav Basin Department of Fisheries and Conservation of Water Biological Resources”, 117105 Moscow, Russia
| | - Kirill K. Kivva
- Department of Climate and Aquatic Ecosystems Dynamics, Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography, 105187 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexei M. Orlov
- Laboratory of Oceanic Ichthyofauna, Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
- Laboratory of Behavior of Lower Vertebrates, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Ichthyology and Hydrobiology, Tomsk State University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
- Department of Ichthyology, Dagestan State University, 367000 Makhachkala, Russia
- Laboratory of Marine Biology, Dagestan Federal Research Center, Caspian Institute of Biological Resources, Russian Academy of Sciences, 367000 Makhachkala, Russia
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6
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Hall KC, Elcock JN, Hoff GR, Stevenson DE, Summers AP, Donatelli CM. Interspecific differences in the flow regimes and drag of North Pacific skate egg cases. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:icac108. [PMID: 35781566 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Skates are a diverse group of dorso-ventrally compressed cartilaginous fishes found primarily in high-latitude seas. These slow-growing oviparous fishes deposit their fertilized eggs into cases, which then rest on the seafloor. Developing skates remain in their cases for 1-4 years after they are deposited, meaning the abiotic characteristics of the deposition sites, such as current and substrate type, must interact with the capsule in a way to promote long residency. Egg cases are morphologically variable and can be identified to species. Both the gross morphology and the microstructures of the egg case interact with substrate to determine how well a case stays in place on a current-swept seafloor. Our study investigated the egg case hydrodynamics of eight North Pacific skate species to understand how their morphology affects their ability to stay in place. We used a flume to measure maximum current velocity, or "break-away velocity," each egg case could withstand before being swept off the substrate and a tilt table to measure the coefficient of static friction between each case and the substrate. We also used the programming software R to calculate theoretical drag on the egg cases of each species. For all flume trials, we found the morphology of egg cases and their orientation to flow to be significantly correlated with break-away velocity. In certain species, the morphology of the egg case was correlated with flow rate required to dislodge a case from the substrate in addition to the drag experienced in both the theoretical and flume experiments. These results effectively measure how well the egg cases of different species remain stationary in a similar habitat. Parsing out attachment biases and discrepancies in flow regimes of egg cases allows us to identify where we are likely to find other elusive species nursery sites. These results will aid predictive models for locating new nursery habitats and protective policies for avoiding the destruction of these nursery sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayla C Hall
- Friday Harbor Labs, University of Washington, 620 University Road, Friday Harbor, WA 98250
- University of Washington, Department of Biology, Life Sciences Building. W Stevens Way NE, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Jaida N Elcock
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Department of Biology, Woods Hole Road, MS 31. Clark 223. Woods Hole, MA 02543
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Earth and Planetary Science, 77 Massachusetts Ave. 54-918, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Gerald R Hoff
- NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115
| | - Duane E Stevenson
- NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115
| | - Adam P Summers
- Friday Harbor Labs, University of Washington, 620 University Road, Friday Harbor, WA 98250
- University of Washington, Department of Biology, Life Sciences Building. W Stevens Way NE, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Cassandra M Donatelli
- Friday Harbor Labs, University of Washington, 620 University Road, Friday Harbor, WA 98250
- Fowler School of Engineering, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866
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7
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Phillips ND, Garbett A, Wise D, Loca SL, Daly O, Eagling LE, Houghton JDR, Verhoog P, Thorburn J, Collins PC. Evidence of egg-laying grounds for critically endangered flapper skate (Dipturus intermedius) off Orkney, UK. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2021; 99:1492-1496. [PMID: 34076895 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Essential fish habitats (EFHs) are critical for fish life-history events, including spawning, breeding, feeding or growth. This study provides evidence of EFHs for the critically endangered flapper skate (Dipturus intermedius) in the waters around the Orkney Isles, Scotland, based on citizen-science observation data. The habitats of potential egg-laying sites were parametrised as >20 m depth, with boulders or exposed bedrock, in moderate current flow (0.3-2.8 knots) with low sedimentation. This information provides a significant contribution to the understanding of EFHs for flapper skate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha D Phillips
- Queen's University Marine Laboratory (QML), Portaferry, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Amy Garbett
- Queen's University Marine Laboratory (QML), Portaferry, Northern Ireland, UK
| | | | - Sophie L Loca
- Queen's University Marine Laboratory (QML), Portaferry, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Olivia Daly
- Queen's University Marine Laboratory (QML), Portaferry, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Lawrence E Eagling
- Queen's University Marine Laboratory (QML), Portaferry, Northern Ireland, UK
| | | | | | | | - Patrick C Collins
- Queen's University Marine Laboratory (QML), Portaferry, Northern Ireland, UK
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8
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O'Connell KA, Santo VD, Maldonado J, Molina E, Fujita MK. A Tale of Two Skates: Comparative Phylogeography of North American Skate Species with Implications for Conservation. COPEIA 2019. [DOI: 10.1643/cg-18-114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kyle A. O'Connell
- Department of Biology and Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019; (KAO) ; (JM) ; and (MKF) . Send reprint request
| | - Valentina Di Santo
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
| | - Jose Maldonado
- Department of Biology and Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019; (KAO) ; (JM) ; and (MKF) . Send reprint request
| | - Erika Molina
- Department of Biology and Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019; (KAO) ; (JM) ; and (MKF) . Send reprint request
| | - Matthew K. Fujita
- Department of Biology and Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019; (KAO) ; (JM) ; and (MKF) . Send reprint request
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9
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Sen A, Himmler T, Hong WL, Chitkara C, Lee RW, Ferré B, Lepland A, Knies J. Atypical biological features of a new cold seep site on the Lofoten-Vesterålen continental margin (northern Norway). Sci Rep 2019; 9:1762. [PMID: 30741962 PMCID: PMC6370913 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-38070-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A newly discovered cold seep from the Lofoten-Vesterålen margin (Norwegian Sea) is dominated by the chemosymbiotrophic siboglinid Oligobrachia haakonmosbiensis like other high latitude seeps, but additionally displays uncharacteristic features. Sulphidic bottom water likely prevents colonization by cnidarians and sponges, resulting in fewer taxa than deeper seeps in the region, representing a deviation from depth-related trends seen among seeps elsewhere. O. haakonmosbiensis was present among carbonate and barite crusts, constituting the first record of frenulates among hard substrates. The presence of both adults and egg cases indicate that Ambylraja hyperborea skates use the site as an egg case nursery ground. Due to sub-zero ambient temperatures (−0.7 °C), we hypothesize that small, seepage related heat anomalies aid egg incubation and prevent embryo mortality. We place our results within the context of high–latitude seeps and suggest they exert evolutionary pressure on benthic species, thereby selecting for elevated exploitation and occupancy of high-productivity habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arunima Sen
- Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate (CAGE), Department of Geosciences, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway.
| | - Tobias Himmler
- Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate (CAGE), Department of Geosciences, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway.,Geological Survey of Norway (NGU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Wei Li Hong
- Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate (CAGE), Department of Geosciences, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway.,Geological Survey of Norway (NGU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Cheshtaa Chitkara
- Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate (CAGE), Department of Geosciences, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway.,Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Basque Country, Leioa-Bilbao, Spain
| | - Raymond W Lee
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Benedicte Ferré
- Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate (CAGE), Department of Geosciences, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Aivo Lepland
- Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate (CAGE), Department of Geosciences, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway.,Geological Survey of Norway (NGU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Jochen Knies
- Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate (CAGE), Department of Geosciences, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway.,Geological Survey of Norway (NGU), Trondheim, Norway
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10
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Salinas-de-León P, Phillips B, Ebert D, Shivji M, Cerutti-Pereyra F, Ruck C, Fisher CR, Marsh L. Deep-sea hydrothermal vents as natural egg-case incubators at the Galapagos Rift. Sci Rep 2018; 8:1788. [PMID: 29422624 PMCID: PMC5805729 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20046-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of deep-sea hydrothermal vents in 1977 challenged our views of ecosystem functioning and yet, the research conducted at these extreme and logistically challenging environments still continues to reveal unique biological processes. Here, we report for the first time, a unique behavior where the deep-sea skate, Bathyraja spinosissima, appears to be actively using the elevated temperature of a hydrothermal vent environment to naturally "incubate" developing egg-cases. We hypothesize that this behavior is directly targeted to accelerate embryo development time given that deep-sea skates have some of the longest egg incubation times reported for the animal kingdom. Similar egg incubating behavior, where eggs are incubated in volcanically heated nesting grounds, have been recorded in Cretaceous sauropod dinosaurs and the rare avian megapode. To our knowledge, this is the first time incubating behavior using a volcanic source is recorded for the marine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pelayo Salinas-de-León
- Charles Darwin Research Station, Av Charles Darwin s/n, Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.
- Galapagos Marine Research and Exploration (GMaRE), joint CDF-ESPOL research program, Charles Darwin Research Station, Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.
- Pristine Seas, National Geographic Society, Washington, D. C., USA.
| | - Brennan Phillips
- Harvard Microrobotics Laboratory, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Ocean Engineering, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI, 02882, USA
| | - David Ebert
- Pacific Shark Research Center, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, 8272 Moss Landing Rd, Moss, CA, 95039, USA
- Department of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Drive, San Francisco, CA, 94118, USA
- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Private Bag 1015, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa
| | - Mahmood Shivji
- Save Our Seas Shark Research Center and Guy Harvey Research Institute, Nova Southeastern University, 8000 N Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, FL, 33004, USA
| | - Florencia Cerutti-Pereyra
- Charles Darwin Research Station, Av Charles Darwin s/n, Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
- Galapagos Marine Research and Exploration (GMaRE), joint CDF-ESPOL research program, Charles Darwin Research Station, Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
| | - Cassandra Ruck
- Save Our Seas Shark Research Center and Guy Harvey Research Institute, Nova Southeastern University, 8000 N Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, FL, 33004, USA
| | - Charles R Fisher
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Leigh Marsh
- Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK
- Marine Geoscience, National Oceanography Centre, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH UK, UK
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11
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Finucci B, Stevens DW, Jones EG, Dunn MR. Some observations on the biology of two rarely seen deep-sea chimaerids, Chimaera carophila and Hydrolagus homonycteris. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2017; 90:2020-2040. [PMID: 28266010 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 01/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Chimaera carophila (n = 45) and Hydrolagus homonycteris (n = 11), two deep-sea chimaerids rarely caught in the waters off New Zealand, were collected from research trawl catches and commercial fishery catches around New Zealand at depths between 400 and 1300 m, between 2014 and 2016. Additional preserved specimens of both species (n = 58) from museum collections were analysed for size, sex and maturity. External assessment of male claspers and a combination of internal assessments of female gonad mass and oviducal gland width, were used to determine maturity. For both species, length at first maturity was 0·70-0·82 of their maximum observed chimaera length (LC ), with females maturing at a larger size. Length at maturity for C. carophila (LC range: 28·7-103·9 cm) was estimated at 72·5 cm LC for males (n = 163) and 82·5 LC for females (n = 58). In H. homonycteris, length at maturity (length range: 78·6-99·8 cm LC ) was estimated at 79·1 cm LC for males (n = 51) and 80·1 cm LC for females (n = 17). Ovarian fecundity was up to 31 for C. carophila and sperm storage was confirmed in the oviducal gland of this species. Both species preyed on benthic invertebrates. Some C. carophila and H. homonycteris inhabit depths beyond most current fisheries, but both species appear to be relatively rare and have reproductive parameters characteristic of low productivity, which may make these species vulnerable to population decline if mortality was to increase in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Finucci
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand
| | - D W Stevens
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, 301 Evans Bay Parade, Greta Point, Wellington, 6021, New Zealand
| | - E G Jones
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, 41 Market Place, Auckland Central, 1010, New Zealand
| | - M R Dunn
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, 301 Evans Bay Parade, Greta Point, Wellington, 6021, New Zealand
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Vargas-Caro C, Bustamante C, Bennett MB, Ovenden JR. Towards sustainable fishery management for skates in South America: The genetic population structure of Zearaja chilensis and Dipturus trachyderma (Chondrichthyes, Rajiformes) in the south-east Pacific Ocean. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0172255. [PMID: 28207832 PMCID: PMC5313215 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The longnose skates (Zearaja chilensis and Dipturus trachyderma) are the main component of the elasmobranch fisheries in the south-east Pacific Ocean. Both species are considered to be a single stock by the fishery management in Chile however, little is known about the level of demographic connectivity within the fishery. In this study, we used a genetic variation (560 bp of the control region of the mitochondrial genome and ten microsatellite loci) to explore population connectivity at five locations along the Chilean coast. Analysis of Z. chilensis populations revealed significant genetic structure among off-shore locations (San Antonio, Valdivia), two locations in the Chiloé Interior Sea (Puerto Montt and Aysén) and Punta Arenas in southern Chile. For example, mtDNA haplotype diversity was similar across off-shore locations and Punta Arenas (h = 0.46-0.50), it was significantly different to those in the Chiloé Interior Sea (h = 0.08). These results raise concerns about the long-term survival of the species within the interior sea, as population resilience will rely almost exclusively on self-recruitment. In contrast, little evidence of genetic structure was found for D. trachyderma. Our results provide evidence for three management units for Z. chilensis, and we recommend that separate management arrangements are required for each of these units. However, there is no evidence to discriminate the extant population of Dipturus trachyderma as separate management units. The lack of genetic population subdivision for D. trachyderma appears to correspond with their higher dispersal ability and more offshore habitat preference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Vargas-Caro
- Shark and Ray Research Group, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- Molecular Fisheries Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Carlos Bustamante
- Shark and Ray Research Group, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- Molecular Fisheries Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Michael B. Bennett
- Shark and Ray Research Group, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jennifer R. Ovenden
- Shark and Ray Research Group, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- Molecular Fisheries Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
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