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Lim KC, Then AYH, Loh KH. Feeding ecology and reproductive biology of small coastal sharks in Malaysian waters. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15849. [PMID: 37637173 PMCID: PMC10448880 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Small coastal demersal sharks form a major proportion of the sharks landed in Malaysia. However, little is known about their feeding ecology and reproduction. This study sought to elucidate the dietary patterns, role of ontogeny in prey consumption, and reproductive biology of four dominant small demersal shark species in Malaysian waters: the Hasselt's bamboo shark, Chiloscyllium hasseltii; brownbanded bamboo shark, C. punctatum; spadenose shark, Scoliodon laticaudus; and Pacific spadenose shark, S. macrorhynchos. Dietary analyses revealed a high overlap in prey taxa consumed; clear resource partitioning among co-occurring species based on the percentage Prey-specific Index of Relative Importance (%PSIRI), with higher fish %PSIRI for Chiloscyllium hasseltii, higher cephalopod %PSIRI for C. punctatum, and higher crustacean %PSIRI for both Scoliodon species; and an ontogenetic diet shift, seen through changes in prey size. Based on the examination of reproductive organs, the results showed larger sizes at maturity for males compared to females for all four species; no obvious reproductive cycles, based on hepatosomatic and gonadosomatic indices for all species; female bias in the sex ratio of the embryos of Scoliodon species; and increased reproductive output (number of eggs or embryos and size of eggs) with larger female size for C. hasseltii and Scoliodon species. The partitioning of food resources minimizes direct competition for food and supports coexistence within shared coastal habitats. The reproductive strategies of these small coastal sharks appear to be favorable for supporting short-term population productivity; although a reduction in fishing pressure, especially from bottom trawlers, is essential for the long-term sustainable use of these sharks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kean Chong Lim
- Institute of Ocean and Earth Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Institute for Advance Studies, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Amy Yee-Hui Then
- Institute of Ocean and Earth Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Institute of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Kar-Hoe Loh
- Institute of Ocean and Earth Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Di Lorenzo M, Vizzini S, Signa G, Andolina C, Boscolo Palo G, Gristina M, Mazzoldi C, Colloca F. Ontogenetic trophic segregation between two threatened smooth-hound sharks in the Central Mediterranean Sea. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11011. [PMID: 32620846 PMCID: PMC7335154 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67858-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Elasmobranchs are among the species most threatened by overfishing and a large body of evidence reports their decline around the world. As they are large predators occupying the highest levels of marine food webs, their removal can alter the trophic web dynamic through predatory release effects and trophic cascade. Suitable management of threatened shark species requires a good understanding of their behaviour and feeding ecology. In this study we provide one of the first assessments of the trophic ecology of the "vulnerable" smooth-hounds Mustelus mustelus and M. punctulatus in the Central Mediterranean Sea, based on stomach contents and stable isotope analyses. Ontogenetic diet changes were addressed by comparing the feeding habits of three groups of individuals: juveniles, maturing and adults. Our results highlighted that the two species share a similar diet based mostly on the consumption of benthic crustaceans (e.g. hermit crabs). Their trophic level increases during ontogeny, with adults increasing their consumption of large-sized crustaceans (e.g. Calappa granulata, Palinurus elephas), cephalopods (e.g. Octopus vulgaris) and fish (e.g. Trachurus trachurus). Our results provide also evidence of ontogenetic shifts in diet for both species showing a progressive reduction of interspecific trophic overlap during growth. The results of this study contribute to improve the current knowledge on the trophic ecology of these two threatened sharks in the Strait of Sicily, thus providing a better understanding of their role in the food web.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manfredi Di Lorenzo
- Institute for Biological Resources and Marine Biotechnologies, National Research Council (IRBIM-CNR), Via Luigi Vaccara 61, 91026, Mazara del Vallo, TP, Italy.
| | - Salvatrice Vizzini
- CoNISMa, National Interuniversity Consortium for Marine Science, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Rome, Italy
- Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Geraldina Signa
- CoNISMa, National Interuniversity Consortium for Marine Science, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Rome, Italy
- Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Cristina Andolina
- CoNISMa, National Interuniversity Consortium for Marine Science, Piazzale Flaminio 9, 00196, Rome, Italy
- Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 18, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Gabriele Boscolo Palo
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131, Padua, Italy
| | - Michele Gristina
- Institute of Anthropic Impacts and Sustainability in Marine Environment, National Research Council (IAS-CNR), Via G. da Verrazzano, 17, 91014, Castellammare Del Golfo, TP, Italy
| | - Carlotta Mazzoldi
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131, Padua, Italy
| | - Francesco Colloca
- Anton Dohrn Zoological Station, Integrative Marine Ecology Department, Via Po 25, 00198, Rome, Italy
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Boudaya L, Neifar L. Triloculotrema euzeti n. sp. (Monogenea, Monocotylidae) from the nasal tissues of the blackspotted smooth-hound Mustelus punctulatus (Carcharhiniformes, Triakidae) from off Tunisia. Parasite 2016; 23:62. [PMID: 28008824 PMCID: PMC5188901 DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2016072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Triloculotrema euzeti n. sp. (Monogenea, Monocotylidae, Merizocotylinae) is described from the nasal tissues of the blackspotted smooth-hound Mustelus punctulatus collected from the coastal marine waters off Tunisia. The new parasite species is distinguished from the other two species of the genus, T. japanicae Kearn, 1993 and T. chisholmae Justine, 2009, by the morphology of the sclerotised male copulatory organ which has longitudinal ridges. The species is also characterised by its oötype with short descending and ascending limbs (long and more convoluted in the other two species). The presence of three peripheral loculi, which is the main characteristic of the genus Triloculotrema Kearn, 1993, is unconfirmed. This is the first description of a species of this genus in the Mediterranean Sea and the first record from a coastal shark.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lobna Boudaya
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Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Écosystèmes Aquatiques, Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Université de Sfax BP 1171 3038
Sfax Tunisia
| | - Lassad Neifar
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Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Écosystèmes Aquatiques, Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Université de Sfax BP 1171 3038
Sfax Tunisia
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