title: Occurrence and habitat use of the critically endangered smalltooth sawfish Pristis pectinata in the Bahamas.
abstract: This study documents and discusses recent (2002-2015) sightings and captures of smalltooth sawfish Pristis pectinata in the Bahamas. Movement patterns and habitat preferences of five P. pectinata are examined: two tracked with acoustic telemetry in Bimini and three tagged with pop-up archival transmitting tags in Andros. Historically, P. pectinata may have been distributed throughout the Bahamas; however, since 2002 only 61 encounters were recorded including: Andros (30), Bimini (19) and a handful across other Islands (12). In Bimini, all P. pectinata were >225 cm (stretched total length, LST) suggesting that it is not used as a nursery area. Pristis pectinata in Andros ranged from c. 80 to 450 cm (LST) indicating that this island might be an important nursery and breeding habitat. Pristis pectinata tracked in both islands remained at depths <3 m, often adjacent to mangrove habitats, displaying residency from 42 days (Bimini) to 180 days (Andros). These preliminary findings confirm the Bahamas as an important habitat for P. pectinata and emphasize the urgent need for national protection and management of this population.
authors.affiliation: Bimini Biological Field Station Foundation, Bimini, Bahamas.
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Guttridge
authors.affiliation: National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Panama City Laboratory, Panama, FL, U.S.A.
authors.forename: S J B
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Gulak
authors.affiliation: Florida Southern College, 111 Hollingsworth Drive, Lakeland, FL 33801, U.S.A.
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Franks
authors.affiliation: National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Panama City Laboratory, Panama, FL, U.S.A.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Carlson
authors.affiliation: Bimini Biological Field Station Foundation, Bimini, Bahamas.|Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33124, U.S.A.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Gruber
authors.affiliation: South African Shark Conservancy, Old Harbour Museum, Hermanus 7200, South Africa.
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Gledhill
authors.affiliation: Institute for Ocean Conservation Science/School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000, U.S.A.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Bond
authors.affiliation: Bimini Biological Field Station Foundation, Bimini, Bahamas.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory, St Teresa, FL 32358, U.S.A.
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Grubbs
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001444:Bahamas; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D017753:Ecosystem; D056727:Endangered Species; D005260:Female; D006702:Homing Behavior; D008297:Male; D011156:Population Density; D012860:Skates, Fish / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Caribbean; active tracking; elasmobranch; endangered species; mangrove; telemetry