Abstract
Sharks rubbing against ocean floor or rocks are common events in marine environments, while instances of interspecific shark chafing behavior have been observed much less frequently. This behavior has garnered scientific interest in recent years and usually involves a smaller shark rubbing against a larger species, utilizing dermal denticles to rid itself of parasites or dead skin cells. Despite the costs and benefits of this behavior being not yet fully understood, we report new evidence of grey reef sharks (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos Bleeker, 1856) engaging in chafing behavior against whale shark (Rhincodon typus Smith, 1828) in the Maldives. This behavior suggests that grey reef sharks may engage in chasing behavior for cleaning purposes or take advantage of larger sharks as an anti-predation tactic. These records contribute to shed light on previously unexplored aspects of elasmobranch interspecies interactions and highlight the need for further research into this topic. The prevalence of such behavior across different regions suggests its potential significance in the ecological dynamics of shark population.
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank White Wave Maldives PVT. LTD. staff and dive guides for the logistic support during our dives. The authors also thank Daniela Lanzarotta and Marcello Bonora for sharing their videos and granting the use of them for this work. An additional thank goes to Mohamed Ali Naseer from Blue Force diving team for granting the use of their video. The authors extend their gratitude to the anonymous reviewers for their constructive feedback, that has significantly contributed to refining and enhancing the quality of the manuscript.
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Conceptualization: J.G. and A.P.; validation: S.M., D.S.; formal analysis: J.G. and A.P.; investigation: J.G. and A.P.; writing—original draft preparation: J.G. and A. P.; writing—review and editing: S.M. and D.S.; supervision: S.M. and P.G. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
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Jacopo Gobbato and Andrea Parmegiani should be considered joint first authors.
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Supplementary file1 (MOV 70084 KB) S1. Grey reef sharks following a whale shark individual in Kooddoo, Maldives, 2022.
Supplementary file2 (MOV 2743 KB) S2. Grey reef sharks following a whale shark individual and performing chafing in Kooddoo, Maldives, 2021. Video taken from social media mining, Carlos Martinez, Blue Force Fleet.
Supplementary file3 (MOV 5345 KB) S3. Grey reef sharks following a whale shark individual and performing chafing in Kooddoo, Maldives, 2021. SLOW MOTION.
Supplementary file4 (MOV 24248 KB) S4. Grey reef sharks following a whale shark in Maareha Kandu, Maldives, 2023. Video taken from social media mining, Ezio Casotto.
Supplementary file5 (MP4 15705 KB) S5. Grey reef shark aggregation following a whale shark individual, French Polynesia, 2015. Video taken from social media mining, Dani Brinton.
Supplementary file6 (MP4 1411 KB) S6. Grey reef sharks following an oceanic manta ray, Fuvahmulah, Maldives, 2020.
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Gobbato, J., Parmegiani, A., Seveso, D. et al. New evidence of grey reef sharks (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) displaying chafing behaviors on whale shark (Rhincodon typus) individuals in the Maldives. Mar. Biodivers. 54, 34 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-024-01430-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-024-01430-y