To Madagascar and back: long-distance, return migration across open ocean by a pregnant female bull shark Carcharhinus leucas.
A large, pregnant, female bull shark Carcharhinus leucas was tracked migrating from Seychelles across open ocean to south-east Madagascar, c. 2000 km away, and back again. In Madagascar, the shark spent a prolonged period shallower than 5 m, consistent with entering estuarine habitat to pup, and upon return to Seychelles the shark was slender and no longer gravid. This represents an unprecedented return migration across the open ocean for a C. leucas and highlights the need for international collaboration to manage the regional C. leucas population sustainably.
Danah Divers, Marine Research Facility, P. O. Box 10646, Jeddah, 21443, Saudi Arabia.|Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, U.K.|SOSF D'Arros Research Centre, c/o Chelonia Company Ltd, P. O. Box 195, Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles.|University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 8AA, U.K.
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Lea
Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, U.K.
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Humphries
Danah Divers, Marine Research Facility, P. O. Box 10646, Jeddah, 21443, Saudi Arabia.
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Clarke
Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, U.K.|Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, U.K.|Centre for Biological Sciences, Building 85, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, U.K.
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Sims
D025041:Animal Migration; D000818:Animals; D017753:Ecosystem; D005260:Female; D008270:Madagascar; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D012754:Sharks / Q000502:physiology*
PSAT; geolocation; parturition; philopatry; satellite telemetry