Dataset Information

Depth-dependent dive kinematics suggest cost-efficient foraging strategies by tiger sharks.

ABSTRACT: Tiger sharks, Galeocerdo cuvier, are a keystone, top-order predator that are assumed to engage in cost-efficient movement and foraging patterns. To investigate the extent to which oscillatory diving by tiger sharks conform to these patterns, we used a biologging approach to model their cost of transport. High-resolution biologging tags with tri-axial sensors were deployed on 21 tiger sharks at Ningaloo Reef for durations of 5-48 h. Using overall dynamic body acceleration as a proxy for energy expenditure, we modelled the cost of transport of oscillatory movements of varying geometries in both horizontal and vertical planes for tiger sharks. The cost of horizontal transport was minimized by descending at the smallest possible angle and ascending at an angle of 5-14°, meaning that vertical oscillations conserved energy compared to swimming at a level depth. The reduction of vertical travel costs occurred at steeper angles. The absolute dive angles of tiger sharks increased between inshore and offshore zones, presumably to reduce the cost of transport while continuously hunting for prey in both benthic and surface habitats. Oscillatory movements of tiger sharks conform to strategies of cost-efficient foraging, and shallow inshore habitats appear to be an important habitat for both hunting prey and conserving energy while travelling.

SUBMITTER: Andrzejaczek S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7481696 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Depth-dependent dive kinematics suggest cost-efficient foraging strategies by tiger sharks.

Andrzejaczek Samantha S Gleiss Adrian C AC Lear Karissa O KO Pattiaratchi Charitha C Chapple Taylor K TK Meekan Mark G MG

Royal Society open science 20200819 8

Tiger sharks, <i>Galeocerdo cuvier</i>, are a keystone, top-order predator that are assumed to engage in cost-efficient movement and foraging patterns. To investigate the extent to which oscillatory diving by tiger sharks conform to these patterns, we used a biologging approach to model their cost of transport. High-resolution biologging tags with tri-axial sensors were deployed on 21 tiger sharks at Ningaloo Reef for durations of 5-48 h. Using overall dynamic body acceleration as a proxy for en ...[more]

PMID: 32968529

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Project description:There is growing evidence for individuality in dietary preferences and foraging behaviors within populations of various species. This is especially important for apex predators, since they can potentially have wide dietary niches and a large impact on trophic dynamics within ecosystems. We evaluate the diet of an apex predator, the white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), by measuring the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope composition of vertebral growth bands to create lifetime records for 15 individuals from California. Isotopic variations in white shark diets can reflect within-region differences among prey (most importantly related to trophic level), as well as differences in baseline values among the regions in which sharks forage, and both prey and habitat preferences may shift with age. The magnitude of isotopic variation among sharks in our study (>5‰ for both elements) is too great to be explained solely by geographic differences, and so must reflect differences in prey choice that may vary with sex, size, age and location. Ontogenetic patterns in δ(15)N values vary considerably among individuals, and one third of the population fit each of these descriptions: 1) δ(15)N values increased throughout life, 2) δ(15)N values increased to a plateau at ∼5 years of age, and 3) δ(15)N values remained roughly constant values throughout life. Isotopic data for the population span more than one trophic level, and we offer a qualitative evaluation of diet using shark-specific collagen discrimination factors estimated from a 3+ year captive feeding experiment (Δ(13)C(shark-diet) and Δ(15)N(shark-diet) equal 4.2‰ and 2.5‰, respectively). We assess the degree of individuality with a proportional similarity index that distinguishes specialists and generalists. The isotopic variance is partitioned among differences between-individual (48%), within-individuals (40%), and by calendar year of sub-adulthood (12%). Our data reveal substantial ontogenetic and individual dietary variation within a white shark population.

Project description:Knowledge of the habitat use and migration patterns of large sharks is important for assessing the effectiveness of large predator Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), vulnerability to fisheries and environmental influences, and management of shark-human interactions. Here we compare movement, reef-fidelity, and ocean migration for tiger sharks, Galeocerdo cuvier, across the Coral Sea, with an emphasis on New Caledonia. Thirty-three tiger sharks (1.54 to 3.9 m total length) were tagged with passive acoustic transmitters and their localised movements monitored on receiver arrays in New Caledonia, the Chesterfield and Lord Howe Islands in the Coral Sea, and the east coast of Queensland, Australia. Satellite tags were also used to determine habitat use and movements among habitats across the Coral Sea. Sub-adults and one male adult tiger shark displayed year-round residency in the Chesterfields with two females tagged in the Chesterfields and detected on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, after 591 and 842 days respectively. In coastal barrier reefs, tiger sharks were transient at acoustic arrays and each individual demonstrated a unique pattern of occurrence. From 2009 to 2013, fourteen sharks with satellite and acoustic tags undertook wide-ranging movements up to 1114 km across the Coral Sea with eight detected back on acoustic arrays up to 405 days after being tagged. Tiger sharks dove 1136 m and utilised three-dimensional activity spaces averaged at 2360 km³. The Chesterfield Islands appear to be important habitat for sub-adults and adult male tiger sharks. Management strategies need to consider the wide-ranging movements of large (sub-adult and adult) male and female tiger sharks at the individual level, whereas fidelity to specific coastal reefs may be consistent across groups of individuals. Coastal barrier reef MPAs, however, only afford brief protection for large tiger sharks, therefore determining the importance of other oceanic Coral Sea reefs should be a priority for future research.

Dataset Information

Depth-dependent dive kinematics suggest cost-efficient foraging strategies by tiger sharks.

Publications

Depth-dependent dive kinematics suggest cost-efficient foraging strategies by tiger sharks.

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