Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park: the first comprehensive elasmobranch assessment reveals global hotspot for reef sharks: Fishes Checklist

A total of 113 BRUV surveys were completed throughout 2015 and 2016. The BRUV surveys documented a CMaxN of 237 elasmobranchs from 14 species and one unidentified Carcharhinid. The overall CPUE from both years was 2.09 (Table 1), with at least one elasmobranch encounter occurring in 92.03% (n = 104) of surveys. Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos, the most abundant species, with a CMaxN of 103, occurred in 54.87% of surveys, recording an overall CPUE of 0.91 (x = 0.91 +- 1.64 SD). Triaenodon obesus were also abundant, with a CMaxN of 98, and were present in 71.68% of surveys with an overall CPUE of 0.87 (x = 0.87 +- 0.84 SD). Other shark species observed during two years of sampling were, in order of decreasing CMaxN, tiger shark Galeocerdo cuvier (CMaxN = 8), blacktip reef shark Carcharhinus melanopterus (8), scalloped hammerhead shark Sphyrna lewini (7), tawny nurse shark Nebrius ferrugineus (2), thresher shark Alopias sp. (2), silky shark Carcharhinus falciformis (1), silvertip shark Carcharhinus albimarginatus (1), and whale shark Rhincodon typus (1). Batoid species observed were spotted eagle ray Aetobatus spp. (2), round ribbontail ray Taeinurops meyeni (1), bluespotted ribbontail ray Taeniura lymma (1), and a manta ray Mobula sp. (1). There was no significant difference between years in CPUE of C. amblyrhynchos in shallow habitats (PERMANOVA, p = 0.297, Pseudo-F = 1.139) and deep habitats (p = 0.48, Pseudo-F = 0.607). Similarly, no significant difference in the abundance of T. obesus; abundance was evident between years in shallow (p = 0.19, Pseudo-F = 2.122) and deep habitats (p = 0.171, Pesudo-F 2.28).

Dataset metrics

Occurrences map

Data and Resources

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Additional Info

Field Value
Source http://www.gbif.org/dataset/fd5c6d5a-a507-4df9-9cd0-cb1f382ec94d
Last Updated August 20, 2024, 13:26 (UTC)
Created August 20, 2024, 13:26 (UTC)
Dataset type OCCURRENCE
Source DarwinCore Archive https://ipt.obis.org/secretariat/archive.do?r=tubbataha-murray-2019
GBIF UUID fd5c6d5a-a507-4df9-9cd0-cb1f382ec94d
Administrative contact OBIS Secretariat - Secretariat - helpdesk@obis.org
Metadata author Chandra Earl - eDNA Scientific Officer - c.earl@unesco.org