Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Movements of bonnetheads, Sphyrna tiburo, as a response to salinity change in a Florida estuary

  • Published:
Environmental Biology of Fishes Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The movement of bonnetheads, Sphyrna tiburo, within an estuarine system on the Gulf of Mexico coast of Florida was examined to define response to salinity change. Shark presence and movements were evaluated by acoustic monitoring and gillnet sampling. Acoustic monitoring data were used to investigate active selection of different zones within the estuary based on differences in salinity among zones. Sharks were monitored for 187 days in 2003 and 217 days in 2004 in salinities ranging from 11.0 to 31.0 ppt in 2003 and 15.8 to 34.6 ppt in 2004. Monitoring data supported the hypothesis that salinity played a role in the distribution and movement of S. tiburo. Catch per unit effort (CPUE) data obtained from gillnet sampling from 1995 to 2004 were examined to determine affinity or avoidance of specific salinities within the study site as calculated using an electivity index. Electivity analysis showed almost no affinity or avoidance for specific salinity values. The difference in results between the CPUE and acoustic monitoring in relation to the potential effects of salinity likely relate to the nature of the data, with acoustic monitoring providing continuous data and CPUE providing snapshot location data. The results of this study suggest that although S. tiburo are collected within a wide range of salinity levels, salinity may affect movement and distribution. Salinity effects may be more pronounced during periods of prolonged and/or large changes in salinity as detected by long-term monitoring.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ackerman JT, Kondratieff MC, Matern SA et al (2000) Tidal influence on spatial dynamics of leopard sharks, Triakis semifasciata, in Tomales Bay, California. Environ Biol Fishes 58:33–43 doi:10.1023/A:1007657019696

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Akin S, Buhan E, Winemiller KO et al (2005) Fish assemblage structure of Koycegiz Lagoon-Estuary, Turkey: spatial and temporal distribution patterns in relation to environmental variation. Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 64:671–684 doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2005.03.019

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson JK (1998) Occurrence of neonate and juvenile sandbar sharks, Carcharhinus plumbeus, in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. Fish Bull (Wash D C) 97:387–391

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlson JK, Parsons GR (1997) Age and growth of the bonnethead shark, Sphyrna tiburo, from northwest Florida, with comments on clinal variation. Environ Biol Fishes 50:331–341 doi:10.1023/A:1007342203214

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castro JI (1993) The shark nursery of Bulls Bay, South Carolina, with a review of the shark nurseries of the southeastern coast of the United States. Environ Biol Fishes 38:37–48 doi:10.1007/BF00842902

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chesson J (1983) The estimation and analysis of preference and its relationship to foraging models. Ecology 64:1297–1304 doi:10.2307/1937838

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Compagno LJV (1984) FAO Species catalogue. Vol. 4. Sharks of the world: an annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Part 2. Carcharhiniformes. FAO Fish Synop 125:251–655

    Google Scholar 

  • Cortés E, Parsons GR (1996) Comparative demography of two populations of the bonnethead shark (Sphyrna tiburo). Can J Fish Aquat Sci 53:709–718 doi:10.1139/cjfas-53-4-709

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cortés E, Manire CA, Hueter RE (1996) Diet, feeding habits and diel feeding chronology of the bonnethead shark, Sphyrna tiburo, in southwest Florida. Bull Mar Sci 58:353–367

    Google Scholar 

  • Grubbs RD, Musick JA (2007) Spatial delineation of summer nursery areas for juvenile sandbar sharks in Chesapeake Bay, Virginia. Am Fish Soc Symp 50:63–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Gunter G (1961) Some relations of estuarine organisms to salinity. Limnol Oceanogr 6:182–190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heupel MR (2007) Exiting Terra Ceia Bay: examination of cues stimulating migration from a summer nursery area. Am Fish Soc Symp 50:265–280

    Google Scholar 

  • Heupel MR, Hueter RE (2001) Use of an automated acoustic telemetry system to passively track juvenile blacktip shark movements. In: Sibert JR, Nielsen JL (eds) Electronic tagging and tracking in marine fisheries. Kluwer, The Netherlands, pp 217–236

    Google Scholar 

  • Heupel MR, Simpfendorfer CA (2008) Movements and distribution of young bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) in a variable environment. Aquat Biol 1:277–289 doi:10.3354/ab00030

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heupel MR, Simpfendorfer CA, Hueter RE (2003) Running before the storm: blacktip sharks respond to falling barometric pressure associated with tropical storm Gabrielle. J Fish Biol 63:1357–1363 doi:10.1046/j.1095-8649.2003.00250.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heupel MR, Simpfendorfer CA, Hueter RE (2004) Estimation of shark home ranges using passive monitoring techniques. Environ Biol Fishes 71:135–142 doi:10.1023/B:EBFI.0000045710.18997.f7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heupel MR, Simpfendorfer CA, Collins AB et al (2006) Residency and movement patterns of bonnethead sharks, Sphyrna tiburo, in a large Florida estuary. Environ Biol Fishes 76:47–67 doi:10.1007/s10641-006-9007-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hight BV, Lowe CG (2007) Elevated body temperatures of adult female leopard sharks, Triakis semifasciata, while aggregating in shallow nearshore embayments: evidence for behavioral thermoregulation? J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 352:114–128 doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2007.07.021

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ivlev VS (1961) Experimental ecology of fishes. Yale University Press, New Haven

    Google Scholar 

  • Lombardi-Carlson LA, Cortés E, Parsons GR et al (2003) Latitudinal variation in life-history traits of bonnethead sharks, Sphyrna tiburo, (Carcharhiniformes: Sphyrnidae) from the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Mar Freshwater Res 54:875–883

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loneragan NR, Potter IC, Lenanton RCJ et al (1987) Influence of environmental variables on the fish fauna of the deeper waters of a large Australian estuary. Mar Biol (Berl) 94:631–641 doi:10.1007/BF00431410

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lowe CG, Topping DT, Cartamil DP et al (2003) Movement patterns, home range, and habitat utilization of adult kelp bass, Paralabrax clathratus in a temperate no-take marine reserve. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 256:205–216 doi:10.3354/meps256205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manire CA, Rasmussen LE, Hess DL et al (1995) Serum steroid hormones and the reproductive cycle of the female bonnethead shark, Sphyrna tiburo. Gen Comp Endocrinol 97:366–376 doi:10.1006/gcen.1995.1036

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martino EJ, Able KW (2003) Fish assemblages across the marine to low salinity transition zone of a temperate estuary. Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 56:969–987 doi:10.1016/S0272-7714(02)00305-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matern SA, Cech JJ Jr, Hopkins TE (2000) Diel movements of bat rays, Myliobatis californica, in Tomales Bay, California: evidence for behavioral thermoregulation? Environ Biol Fishes 58:173–182 doi:10.1023/A:1007625212099

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Medved RJ, Marshall JA (1983) Short-term movements of young sandbar sharks, Carcharhinus plumbeus (Pisces, Carcharhinidae). Bull Mar Sci 33:87–93

    Google Scholar 

  • Merson RR, Pratt HL Jr (2001) Distribution, movements and growth of young sandbar sharks, Carcharhinus plumbeus, in the nursery grounds of Delaware Bay. Environ Biol Fishes 61:13–24 doi:10.1023/A:1011017109776

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Montoya RV, Thorson TB (1982) The bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) and largetooth sawfish (Pristis perotteti) in Lake Bayano, a tropical man-made impoundment in Panama. Environ Biol Fishes 7:341–347 doi:10.1007/BF00005568

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ohta I, Kakuma S (2005) Periodic behavior and residence time of yellowfin and bigeye tuna associated with fish aggregating devices around Okinawa Islands, as identified with automated listening stations. Mar Biol (Berl) 146:581–594 doi:10.1007/s00227-004-1456-x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parsons GR (1993a) Age determination and growth of the bonnethead shark, Sphyrna tiburo: a comparison of two populations. Mar Biol (Berl) 117:23–31 doi:10.1007/BF00346422

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parsons GR (1993b) Geographic variation in reproduction between two populations of the bonnethead shark, Sphyrna tiburo. Environ Biol Fishes 38:25–35 doi:10.1007/BF00842901

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pillans RD, Franklin CE (2004) Plasmo osmolyte concentrations and rectal gland mass of bull sharks Carcharhinus leucas, captured along a salinity gradient. Comp Biochem Physiol A 138:363–371 doi:10.1016/j.cbpb.2004.05.006

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pillans RD, Anderson WG, Good JP et al (2006) Plasma and erythrocyte solute properties of juvenile bull sharks, Carcharhinus leucas, acutely exposed to increasing environmental salinity. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 331:145–157 doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2005.10.013

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Potter JC, Claridge PN, Warwick RM (1986) Consistency of seasonal changes in an estuarine fish assemblage. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 32:217–228 doi:10.3354/meps032217

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simpfendorfer CA, Heupel MR, Hueter RE (2002) Estimation of short-term centers of activity from an array of omnidirectional hydrophones, and its use in studying animal movements. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 59:23–32 doi:10.1139/f01-191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simpfendorfer CA, Freitas GG, Wiley TR et al (2005) Distribution and habitat partitioning of immature bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) in a southwest Florida estuary. Estuaries 28:78–85 doi:10.1007/BF02732755

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Starr RM, Heine JN, Felton JM et al (2001) Movements of boccacio (Sebastes paucispinis) and greenspotted (S. chlorostictus) rockfishes in a Monterey submarine canyon: implications for the design of marine reserves. Fish Bull (Wash D C) 100:324–337

    Google Scholar 

  • Steele P, Bert TM (1994) Population ecology of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, in a subtropical estuary: population structure, aspects of reproduction, and habitat partitioning. Florida Marine Research Publications 51, 24 pp

  • Tankersley RA, Wieber MG, Sigala MA et al (1998) Migratory behavior of ovigerous blue crabs Callinectes sapidus: evidence for selective tidal-stream transport. Biol Bull 195:168–173 doi:10.2307/1542824

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomerson JE, Thorson TB, Hempel RL (1977) The bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas, from the upper Mississippi River near Alton Illinois. Copeia 1977:166–168 doi:10.2307/1443522

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wetherbee BM, Rechisky EL (2000) Movement patterns of juvenile sandbar sharks on their nursery grounds in Delaware Bay. In: Eiler JH, Alcorn DJ, Neuman MR (eds) Biotelemetry 15: Proceedings of the 15th International Symposium on Biotelemetry. Juneau, Alaska USA. International Society on Biotelmetry, Wagenigen, The Netherlands, pp 91–98

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Funding for the acoustic monitoring portion of this research was provided by the Mote Scientific Foundation. Relative abundance sampling was supporting by funding to Robert Hueter via National Marine Fisheries Service grants. Targeted fishing surveys were completed under various funding sources. We thank the many MML staff who were involved in collecting these data: M. Amato, A. Collins, M. Friday, J. Gelsleichter, C. Manire, J. Morris, J. Tyminski, T. Wiley and B. Yeiser. We also thank the numerous student interns who participated in this fieldwork. Thanks Dr. R.F. Noss for his helpful review of this manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Shark Research, Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL, 34236, USA

    Armando J. Ubeda, C. A. Simpfendorfer & M. R. Heupel

Authors
  1. Armando J. Ubeda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. C. A. Simpfendorfer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. R. Heupel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Armando J. Ubeda.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ubeda, A.J., Simpfendorfer, C.A. & Heupel, M.R. Movements of bonnetheads, Sphyrna tiburo, as a response to salinity change in a Florida estuary. Environ Biol Fish 84, 293–303 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-008-9436-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-008-9436-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation