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Adult blacktip sharks ( Carcharhinus limbatus ) use shallow water as a refuge from great hammerheads ( Sphyrna mokarran )
Author(s) -
Doan Melanie D.,
Kajiura Stephen M.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/jfb.14342
Subject(s) - carcharhinus , biology , predation , fishery , waves and shallow water , ecology , oceanography , geology
A refuge can be any space that keeps an organism safe from danger. Prey usually seek protection in the closest refuge available to minimize cost while maximizing survival. Aerial drone footage of blacktip sharks, Carcharhinus limbatus , along the coast of southeast Florida, USA, shows adult blacktips fleeing to the shallow water adjacent to the beach when confronted with or chased by a predatory great hammerhead shark, Sphyrna mokarran . To authors’ knowledge, this is the first evidence of adult C. limbatus using shallow waters as a refuge.