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Capture, husbandry, and oxygen consumption rate of juvenile Pacific sleeper sharks (Somniosus pacificus)

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Abstract

Few published studies have measured the oxygen consumption rates of elasmobranchs larger than 1.5 m, with only one measured at temperatures below 10 °C. This study provides initial measurements of the metabolic rate of three juvenile Pacific sleeper sharks, SP1904, SP1908, and SP2005 (199 cm, 162 cm, 144 cm), which were caught and temporarily housed at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska. While at the Center, multiple respirometry trials were performed utilizing an intermittent-closed system respirometer to measure oxygen consumption. The average routine metabolic rates for each individual were calculated at 17.8 ± 1.3 mgO2kg−1 h−1, 20.5 ± 1.6 mgO2kg−1 h−1, and 4.0 ± NA mgO2kg−1 h−1, respectively, while the resting metabolic rate of SP1908 was calculated at 14.3 ± 2.4 mgO2kg−1 h−1. Oxygen consumption rates were measured between 6.0 and 8.8 °C. Both the active and resting metabolic rates for the Pacific sleeper shark were like those of the previously measured and closely related Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) and the temperate zebra shark (Stegostoma fasciatum) when scaled to the temperature in this study. Therefore, Pacific sleeper shark metabolic rate is not unusually low compared to other shark species. These initial measurements of the metabolic rate of Pacific sleeper sharks enhance deep-sea and polar physiology knowledge by filling gaps in respirometry research for large, Arctic elasmobranchs.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and analyzed during the current study are included in this published article or available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This paper is dedicated to the memory of Richard Hocking, his vast knowledge and support were integral throughout the entirety of this project. We thank Andy Mezirow for his insights on catching Pacific sleeper sharks locally out of Seward, and assistance in developing our fishing techniques. We thank the CSULB Shark Lab graduate students for paper revisions and all the staff and volunteers at ASLC for field work as well as respirometry support.

Funding

This project could not have been completed without the funding from the North Pacific Research Board awards R1711, R2004, graduate student grant 1921 and additional funding from the California State University Council on Ocean Affairs, Science & Technology graduate student research award and Southern California Tuna Club Marine Biology Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, CA, 90840, USA

    Taylor R. Smith & Christopher G. Lowe

  2. Water and Environmental Research Center, Institute of Northern Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA

    Amanda Bishop

  3. Alaska SeaLife Center, Seward, AK, 99664, USA

    Amanda Bishop, Jared Guthridge & Richard Hocking

  4. Wildlife Technology Frontiers, Seward, AK, 99664, USA

    Markus Horning

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  1. Taylor R. Smith
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  6. Christopher G. Lowe
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Contributions

CL and MH conceived and designed the project. TS, AB, JG, RH, and MH conducted field work, husbandry, and experiments. TS analyzed data and wrote the manuscript. All authors read and approved the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Taylor R. Smith.

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Ethics approval

All captures, handling, and procedures of the Pacific Sleeper shark were permitted under Aquatic Resource Use Permit No. CF-18–041; CF-19–085; CF-20–081 issued by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. All husbandry of the Pacific sleeper shark was permitted under AUP No. R18-04–02; R19-05–05 by the ASLC’s IACUC.

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Smith, T.R., Bishop, A., Guthridge, J. et al. Capture, husbandry, and oxygen consumption rate of juvenile Pacific sleeper sharks (Somniosus pacificus). Environ Biol Fish 105, 1519–1534 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-022-01334-5

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