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Just keep swimming? Observations of resting behavior in gray reef sharks Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos (Bleeker, 1856)

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Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Foster, Craig 
Lea, James S. E. 

Abstract

Understanding the respiratory modes of sharks has important implications for studying the metabolism, energetics, and behavioral strategies of different species. Here we provide the first reported observations of resting behavior in the gray reef shark Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos, a species typically considered an obligate ram ventilator. Observations were made at several locations in the Republic of Seychelles, where sharks were found resting under reef ledges and were unresponsive to the presence of divers. These findings update our understanding of the respiratory mode of this species and have implications for future research.

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Publication status: Published

Keywords

elasmobranch, buccal pumping, reef shark, resting, ram ventilation, respiratory mode

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Publisher

Blackwell Publishing Ltd