Diel movement patterns and habitat preferences of the common thresher shark (Alopias vulpinus) in the Southern California Bight

2010 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 596 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Cartamil ◽  
N. C. Wegner ◽  
S. Aalbers ◽  
C. A. Sepulveda ◽  
A. Baquero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Southern California ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Movement Patterns ◽  
Southern California Bight ◽  
Depth Sensing ◽  
Vertical Movements ◽  
Thresher Shark ◽  
The Common ◽  
Diel Movement ◽  
Alopias Vulpinus

The common thresher shark, Alopias vulpinus, is the basis of the largest commercial shark fishery in California waters. We used acoustic telemetry to determine the diel movement patterns and habitat preferences of this species in the Southern California Bight (SCB), where commercial fishing for the common thresher shark is concentrated. Eight common threshers (fork length: 122–203 cm) were tagged with temperature and depth-sensing acoustic transmitters and tracked for periods ranging from 22 to 49 h. Tracked sharks preferentially utilized deep offshore waters, and avoided shallower waters over the continental shelf. Mean rate of movement (ROM ± s.d.) was 2.15 ± 0.46 km h−1. ROM and angular concentration (r, a measure of relative linearity) both showed a strong daytime pattern, with highest values at dawn that decreased throughout the day, whereas nocturnal ROM and r were less variable. Daytime vertical movements consisted of either vertical excursions below the thermocline or relatively level swimming within the upper portion of the thermocline. Nocturnally, all sharks remained within the mixed layer. These findings suggest that the common thresher shark is primarily a daytime predator, and have relevance for estimating how the alteration of the set depth of fishing-gear could affect catch rates of this species in the SCB.

scholarly journals Mitochondrial recovery from shotgun metagenome sequencing enabling phylogenetic analysis of the common thresher shark (Alopias vulpinus)

Meta Gene ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 10-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael P. Doane ◽  
Dovi Kacev ◽  
Sean Harrington ◽  
Kyle Levi ◽  
Dnyanada Pande ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Thresher Shark ◽  
The Common ◽  
Metagenome Sequencing ◽  
Alopias Vulpinus

scholarly journals Seasonal distribution and habitat use of the common thresher shark (Alopias vulpinus) in the western North Atlantic Ocean inferred from fishery-dependent data

2020 ◽  
Vol 118 (4) ◽  
pp. 399-4`1
Author(s):  
Jeff Kneebone ◽  
Heather Bowlby ◽  
Joseph J. Mello ◽  
Camilla T. McCandless ◽  
Lisa J. Natanson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
North Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Seasonal Distribution ◽  
Dependent Data ◽  
Thresher Shark ◽  
The Common ◽  
Alopias Vulpinus

Common thresher shark Alopias vulpinus movement: Bayesian inference on a data-limited species

2020 ◽  
Vol 639 ◽  
pp. 155-167
Author(s):  
MJ Kinney ◽  
D Kacev ◽  
T Sippel ◽  
H Dewar ◽  
T Eguchi
Keyword(s):  
Animal Movement ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Southern California Bight ◽  
Telemetry Data ◽  
The West ◽  
Thresher Shark ◽  
Satellite Tagging ◽  
Equal Interest ◽  
Growth And Reproduction ◽  
Alopias Vulpinus

Within the fields of biology and ecology, animal movement is arguably one of the most basic, and yet, often one of the most difficult areas of study. Where and why animals migrate, and what patterns can be derived from individual movements in order to make population-level inferences are key areas when attempting to define basic population dynamics. These questions are of equal interest to biologists and managers, with many species assessments identifying improvements in the understanding of population-level movement as a key research need. We aimed to improve our understanding of population level movement for common thresher sharks Alopias vulpinus by leveraging the largest satellite tagging dataset available for this species. Using a Bayesian approach specifically designed to address population-level questions with sparse telemetry data, we identified that A. vulpinus off the west coast of North America are partial migrators which conditionally migrate, based on a combination of fixed intrinsic states (size, sex) and variable extrinsic states (e.g. season, environment). Waters of the Southern California Bight were identified as an area where, seasonally, a large variety of sizes of A. vulpinus can be found. While smaller juveniles can be found throughout the year, larger sub-adults and adults often move out of the Bight during certain seasons (spring and winter). Knowledge of how A. vulpinus distribute along the coast, and that season, size, and to some extent sex, play important roles in where and what type of animals are likely to be found, are key pieces of information when attempting to accurately characterize basic biological parameters like age, growth, and reproduction, as well as understanding the effects of variable fishing pressures across the species’ range.

Mechanisms of maternal transfer of organochlorine contaminants and mercury in the common thresher shark (Alopias vulpinus)

2013 ◽  
Vol 70 (12) ◽  
pp. 1667-1672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kady Lyons ◽  
Christopher G. Lowe
Keyword(s):  
Organic Contaminants ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Maternal Transfer ◽  
Organochlorine Contaminants ◽  
Thresher Shark ◽  
The Common ◽  
Near Term ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Putative Mechanism ◽  
Alopias Vulpinus

A putative mechanism for maternal transfer of organic contaminants and total mercury was empirically demonstrated in a near-term pregnant female common thresher shark (Alopias vulpinus). Contaminants were measured in the liver and muscle tissue of the mother and her four embryos, as well as the embryos’ stomach contents. Concentrations of organic contaminants and mercury were found to be lower in the embryos’ livers than in the mother’s and were clearly measurable in the embryo stomach contents, which consisted of consumed ovulated eggs. Presence of high concentrations of organic contaminants and mercury in embryos, prior to any exogenous exposure, provides clear evidence of maternal offloading in this species. In addition, the detection of these chemicals in the yolky stomach contents provides a mechanism by which oophagous elasmobranch females offload contaminants onto their young.

scholarly journals The skin microbiome of the common thresher shark (Alopias vulpinus) has low taxonomic and gene function β-diversity

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 357-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael P. Doane ◽  
John Matthew Haggerty ◽  
Dovi Kacev ◽  
Bhavya Papudeshi ◽  
Elizabeth A. Dinsdale
Keyword(s):  
Gene Function ◽  
Skin Microbiome ◽  
Β Diversity ◽  
Thresher Shark ◽  
The Common ◽  
Alopias Vulpinus

scholarly journals Movement patterns and nursery habitat of juvenile thresher sharksAlopias vulpinusin the Southern California Bight

2010 ◽  
Vol 404 ◽  
pp. 249-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Cartamil ◽  
NC Wegner ◽  
D Kacev ◽  
N Ben-aderet ◽  
S Kohin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Southern California ◽  
Movement Patterns ◽  
Nursery Habitat ◽  
Southern California Bight

Horizontal and vertical movements of the shortfin mako shark, Isurus oxyrinchus, in the Southern California Bight

1993 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 901 ◽  
Author(s):  
DB Holts ◽  
DW Bedford
Keyword(s):  
Southern California ◽  
Bottom Topography ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Southern California Bight ◽  
Diel Activity ◽  
Commercial Fishing ◽  
Vertical Movements ◽  
Mako Shark ◽  
Isurus Oxyrinchus ◽  
Shortfin Mako

Recreational and commercial fishing effort directed at the shortfin mako shark, Isurus oxyrinchus, off the coast of southern California increased markedly in the mid 1980s. However, very little is known about the population size, stock structure or movements of these sharks in the northern Pacific. It is important to determine their role in these waters because the southern California bight may be an important pupping and nursery area for shortfin mako sharks. Acoustic telemetry was used to identify short-term horizontal and vertical movements of three shortfin mako sharks in the southern California bight during the summer of 1989. All three sharks were two-year-old juveniles and were tracked for periods of from 18 to 25 h. They spent 90% of their time in the mixed layer, with only infrequent excursions below the thermocline. Vertical and horizontal movements did not indicate any diel activity pattern associated with distance to the shore or nearby islands or with bottom topography.

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