Abstract
The Pacific sleeper shark Somniosus pacificus is a large-bodied and broad-ranging squaliform shark that occupies diverse habitats throughout the Pacific Ocean. Despite its large size and occurrence as bycatch in various commercial fisheries, little is known about even the most basic aspects of its biology and ecology. Observed declines in certain parts of its range, coupled with life history characteristics associated with low productivity, have led to conservation concerns for this cryptic but charismatic species. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the current state of knowledge regarding the distribution, diet, life history, and other aspects of the Pacific sleeper shark and present updated fisheries and survey data for the eastern North Pacific Ocean. The most pressing research gaps identified during the course of this review concern habitat use at different life stages and basic life history information. While work is currently in progress to expand our base of knowledge for this species, we recommend a precautionary approach to management until sufficient information becomes available to ensure its conservation.
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Data availability
Much of the data for this review are from published studies, referenced throughout the document. Data from Alaska are from a variety of sources: fisheries data are available from the NOAA Alaska Regional Office and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada (DFO); survey data are from the NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and DFO; at-sea observer data are from the North Pacific Observer Program; opportunistic reports are from fishers and other researchers. Size data from the US West Coast and British Columbia are from the International Pacific Halibut Commission, DFO, and the At-Sea Hake Observer Program (NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center). Non-confidential data and code used to create figures (R Core Team 2021) are available at https://github.com/BethMatta-NOAA/sleeper-shark-review.
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Acknowledgements
This work would not have been possible without the contributions of the many researchers who have dedicated their time and energy toward a better understanding of Pacific sleeper sharks and other Somniosus species. We thank the survey teams of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center and fisheries participants and observers who have collected data. Numerous agencies and organizations shared data with us: Alaska Department of Fish and Game, International Pacific Halibut Commission, NOAA’s Alaska Regional Office, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center, and the Alaska Sea Life Center. Finally, we thank the AFSC’s J. Hoff and C. Rodgveller and two anonymous reviewers for providing feedback to improve the manuscript. Reference to trade names does not imply endorsement by the National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA.
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MM reviewed literature, analyzed data, and conceived of and drafted the original manuscript; CT, LD, and AA compiled and analyzed data and contributed to the manuscript; KF and GD edited the original draft and contributed additional text. All authors read, edited, and approved the manuscript.
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Matta, M.E., Tribuzio, C.A., Davidson, L.N.K. et al. A review of the Pacific sleeper shark Somniosus pacificus: biology and fishery interactions. Polar Biol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-024-03247-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-024-03247-8