Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park: the first comprehensive elasmobranch assessment reveals global hotspot for reef sharks: Fishes Checklist
Citation
Murray R, Conales Jr. S, Araujo G, Labaja J, Snow S J, Pierce S J, Songco A, Ponzo A, Earl C (2023). Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park: the first comprehensive elasmobranch assessment reveals global hotspot for reef sharks: Fishes Checklist. Version 2.0. OBIS Secretariat. Occurrence dataset. https://doi.org/10.25607/w4dalx accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-06-13.Description
A total of 113 BRUV surveys were completed throughout 2015 and 2016. The BRUV surveys documented a CMaxN of 237 elasmobranchs from 14 species and one unidentified Carcharhinid. The overall CPUE from both years was 2.09 (Table 1), with at least one elasmobranch encounter occurring in 92.03% (n = 104) of surveys. Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos, the most abundant species, with a CMaxN of 103, occurred in 54.87% of surveys, recording an overall CPUE of 0.91 (x = 0.91 +- 1.64 SD). Triaenodon obesus were also abundant, with a CMaxN of 98, and were present in 71.68% of surveys with an overall CPUE of 0.87 (x = 0.87 +- 0.84 SD). Other shark species observed during two years of sampling were, in order of decreasing CMaxN, tiger shark Galeocerdo cuvier (CMaxN = 8), blacktip reef shark Carcharhinus melanopterus (8), scalloped hammerhead shark Sphyrna lewini (7), tawny nurse shark Nebrius ferrugineus (2), thresher shark Alopias sp. (2), silky shark Carcharhinus falciformis (1), silvertip shark Carcharhinus albimarginatus (1), and whale shark Rhincodon typus (1). Batoid species observed were spotted eagle ray Aetobatus spp. (2), round ribbontail ray Taeinurops meyeni (1), bluespotted ribbontail ray Taeniura lymma (1), and a manta ray Mobula sp. (1). There was no significant difference between years in CPUE of C. amblyrhynchos in shallow habitats (PERMANOVA, p = 0.297, Pseudo-F = 1.139) and deep habitats (p = 0.48, Pseudo-F = 0.607). Similarly, no significant difference in the abundance of T. obesus; abundance was evident between years in shallow (p = 0.19, Pseudo-F = 2.122) and deep habitats (p = 0.171, Pesudo-F 2.28).Purpose
These data were made accessible through UNESCO's eDNA Expeditions project to mobilize available marine species and occurrence datasets from World Heritage Sites.
Sampling Description
Method steps
- See Github Project and R Notebook for dataset construction methods
Additional info
marine, harvested by iOBISTaxonomic Coverages
Fishes
-
Agnatharank: Superclass
-
Chondrichthyesrank: unranked
-
Osteichthyesrank: unranked
Geographic Coverages
Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
Bibliographic Citations
- Murray, Ryan & Conales, Segundo & Araujo, Gonzalo & Labaja, Jessica & Snow, Sally & Pierce, Simon & Songco, Angelique & Ponzo, Alessandro. (2018). Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park: First comprehensive elasmobranch assessment reveals global hotspot for reef sharks. Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity. 12. - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japb.2018.09.009
Contacts
Ryan Murrayoriginator
Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines
Segundo Conales Jr.
originator
Tubbataha Management Office
Gonzalo Araujo
originator
Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines
Jessica Labaja
originator
Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines
Sally J. Snow
originator
Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines
Simon J. Pierce
originator
Marine Megafauna Foundation
Angelique Songco
originator
Tubbataha Management Office
Alessandro Ponzo
originator
Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines
Chandra Earl
metadata author
position: eDNA Scientific Officer
UNESCO
email: c.earl@unesco.org
Chandra Earl
processor
position: eDNA Scientific Officer
UNESCO
email: c.earl@unesco.org
OBIS Secretariat
administrative point of contact
position: Secretariat
OBIS
email: helpdesk@obis.org