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Environmental effects on daytime sheltering behaviors of California horn sharks (Heterodontus francisci)

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Abstract

California horn sharks (Heterodontus francisci) are relatively small (122 cm maximum total length; TL), nocturnally active sharks that have been observed refuging in shelters during the day; however, little is known about how they select their daytime resting shelters, and what factors may drive their degree of shelter fidelity. Depending on body size, thermal tolerance, and ability to avoid predators, horn sharks may need to balance tradeoffs when selecting a quality shelter. This study quantified vertical daytime distributions via dive surveys and shelter fidelity via acoustic telemetry during June – August 2016 and June – November 2017 in a temperate rocky reef (33˚26’ N, -118˚29’ W). Immature individuals (< 58 cm TL) were found refuging in shallower (< 10 m), warmer habitats consisting of smaller crevices and overhangs, whereas mature individuals (> 58 cm TL) were found in deeper (> 10 m), cooler habitats sheltering in larger caves and rock ledges. The sizes and relative abundances of sharks varied between land-associated and offshore-isolated reefs, indicating habitat type may be a likely driver of ontogenetic shifts in shelter behavior. No sharks returned to their shelters in 2016 coinciding with the period of El Niño conditions (increased temperature, shifts in community assemblage), yet shelter fidelity was 47% in 2017 under non-El Niño conditions. By quantifying sheltering behavior in a residential mesopredator, this study provides a framework for understanding how environmental conditions influence horn shark behaviors and their potential impacts on their community.

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Data are available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Dr. Yannis Papastamatiou and Dr. Bengt Allen for their contributions to this manuscript. We additionally thank the anonymous reviewers whose comments greatly improved this manuscript. We thank Echelle Burns and Dr. Darren Johnson for aid with statistical analyses. We especially thank the numerous volunteer divers who helped with surveys including Sam Corder Lee, Sarah Luongo, Racine Rangel, Alyssa Clevenstine, Caitlin McGarigal, Bobby Hyla, and many others.

Funding

This work was supported by the USC Wrigley Graduate Fellowship, the Donald. R. Nelson Behavior Research Award, Richard B. Loomis Graduate Research Grant, Southern California Academy of Sciences Research Grant, Southern California Tuna Club Grant, Dr. Donald J. Reish Grant, AltaSea, and the International Women’s Fishing Association Scholarship.

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ENM and CGL conceived the study design. ENM conducted field work and statistical and spatial analyses. ENM wrote the first draft of the manuscript. Both authors approve final submission of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Emily N. Meese.

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This article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by any of the authors. All applicable international, national and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. All procedures performed in the study involving animals were permitted under California State University Long Beach Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee protocol #359.

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Meese, E.N., Lowe, C.G. Environmental effects on daytime sheltering behaviors of California horn sharks (Heterodontus francisci). Environ Biol Fish 103, 703–717 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-020-00977-6

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