Abstract
Nurse sharks are vulnerable of extinction in Brazil. Although its reproductive behavioral repertoire is already known, including indications that females are not passive to the attempts of males, no indication of proceptive behavior of females of this species is known. Considering that proceptive behavior is what initiates or increases the probability of a male exhibiting sexual behaviors directed at a female, the present study carried out behavioral observations in two groups of nurse sharks in reproductive period to identify possible proceptive behaviors. The present work identified a new behavior, here referred to as Body Movement (BM), as an indicator of proceptivity. This behavior corresponded on average to 47.68% of the reproductive behaviors performed by the females and its occurrence was positively correlated (r = 0.5143341 / p = 0.04152 - Spearman) with the occurrence of socio-reproductive behaviors of males. Being able to identify signs of proceptivity in animals is important to understand the reproductive context in which a group is found and to allow greater attention to animals that are able to reproduce, in order to create more efficient reproductive management programs to develop long-term sustainable population management.
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Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the following institutions and persons: Aquário de São Paulo and Projeto Tamar. Mr. Caio César Serafim Jorge for the grammar review of English.
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This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES) – Finance Code 001.
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H Colbachini and OBF Gadig performed the experiments. H Colbachini, CS Pizzutto, RC Gutierrez and OBF Gadig analyzed and interpreted the data. H Colbachini, CS Pizzutto and PN Jorge-Neto wrote the manuscript. H Colbachini and CS Pizzutto critically revised the manuscript. All authors approved the manuscript for publication.
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The use and care of experimental animals obeyed the Brazilian laws, guidelines and policies on animal welfare, according to IBAMA (IN 07/2015) and by the institutions technical staff. As no invasive method was applied, no further ethical approval was required.
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Colbachini, H., Pizzutto, C.S., Jorge-Neto, P.N. et al. Body movement as an indicator of proceptive behavior in nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum). Environ Biol Fish 103, 1257–1263 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-020-01018-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-020-01018-y