TY - JOUR
T1 - The influence of zooplankton communities on the feeding behavior of whale shark in Bahia de La Paz, Gulf of California
AU - Whitehead, Darren Andrew
AU - Jakes-Cota, Ulianov
AU - Pancaldi, Francesca
AU - Galván-Magaña, Felipe
AU - González-Armas, Rogelio
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. All rights reserved.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - The whale shark is the world’s largest filter feeding shark and holds international protection as an endangered species. It is known to form seasonal aggregations linked to blooms of zooplanktonic organisms. The aim of this study was to investigate whether whale shark foraging behaviors are related to the density and/or concentration of available prey items. Zooplankton samples were obtained between October-2016 and March-2017 from Bahia de La Paz in the absence (n =3 2) and presence (n = 12) of foraging whale sharks. Results indicated that zooplankton biomass was 1.6 times significantly greater (t = -3.21, p < 0.05) when sharks were observed feeding and the mean number of zooplankton individuals of all taxonomic groups in the presence of feeding whale sharks was 2.5 times greater than in the absence of feeding, although it was not significantly different (t = -1.70, p > 0.05). The dominant taxonomic groups were copepods and chaetognaths with no significant differences found in the mean number of copepods (t = -1.81, p > 0.05), chaetognaths (t = -1.70, p > 0.05), euphausiids (t = -0.12, p > 0.05) and decapods (t = -1.80, p > 0.05), between the presence and absence of feeding whale sharks. In conclusion, whale sharks feeding behaviors occur during higher concentrations of zooplankton biomass and the species may potentially target dense patches of both copepods and chaetognaths.
AB - The whale shark is the world’s largest filter feeding shark and holds international protection as an endangered species. It is known to form seasonal aggregations linked to blooms of zooplanktonic organisms. The aim of this study was to investigate whether whale shark foraging behaviors are related to the density and/or concentration of available prey items. Zooplankton samples were obtained between October-2016 and March-2017 from Bahia de La Paz in the absence (n =3 2) and presence (n = 12) of foraging whale sharks. Results indicated that zooplankton biomass was 1.6 times significantly greater (t = -3.21, p < 0.05) when sharks were observed feeding and the mean number of zooplankton individuals of all taxonomic groups in the presence of feeding whale sharks was 2.5 times greater than in the absence of feeding, although it was not significantly different (t = -1.70, p > 0.05). The dominant taxonomic groups were copepods and chaetognaths with no significant differences found in the mean number of copepods (t = -1.81, p > 0.05), chaetognaths (t = -1.70, p > 0.05), euphausiids (t = -0.12, p > 0.05) and decapods (t = -1.80, p > 0.05), between the presence and absence of feeding whale sharks. In conclusion, whale sharks feeding behaviors occur during higher concentrations of zooplankton biomass and the species may potentially target dense patches of both copepods and chaetognaths.
KW - Bahia de la paz
KW - Ecology
KW - Foraging behaviors
KW - Zooplankton communities
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85084586812&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.22201/ib.20078706e.2020.91.3054
DO - 10.22201/ib.20078706e.2020.91.3054
M3 - Artículo
SN - 1870-3453
VL - 91
JO - Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad
JF - Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad
M1 - e913054
ER -