Endangered Species Research
ESR is a gold Open Access research journal on all endangered forms of life on Earth, the threats faced by species and their habitats, and the necessary steps that must be undertaken to ensure their conservation.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01550
copiedMovement and vertical habitat use of juvenile whale sharks Rhincodon typus in relation to the Kuroshio Current off Japan
- Yanhui Zhu
- Itsuki Kiyatake
- Yuta Sakuragi
- Shunsuke Noma
- Takaomi Ito
- Kazuhiro Nakaya
- Amane Nakamura
- Kenji Minami
- Kazushi Miyashita
Understanding how endangered whale sharks Rhincodon typus use the water column is important for their conservation, particularly in data-poor regions such as the western North Pacific. We tracked 6 juvenile whale sharks tagged off the Pacific coast of Japan between 2013 and 2023 with pop-up satellite-archival tags, the first satellite telemetry of the species in Japanese waters, and described their 3-dimensional habitat use in relation to the Kuroshio Current. Horizontally, the sharks followed 2 routes: some remained at the productive Kuroshio–Oyashio front to the north, while others moved south into warm, thermally uniform subtropical water. Their movement bearings broadly followed the surface flow, suggesting the current facilitated their movement. Vertically, all 6 sharks spent most of their time in the warm upper 50 m; their dive depth and duration may reflect the steep subsurface temperature gradient, consistent with behavioral thermoregulation. In one individual with a continuous record, the deepest dives, exceeding 1000 m, occurred only during the warmest week of its track. In 2 individuals with continuous records, dives into the mid-water column were concentrated during the day, which could reflect possible use of vertically migrating prey layers. Overall, these first telemetry records show that juvenile whale sharks off Japan travel with the Kuroshio and occupy a broad vertical range, from the warm surface layer to cold waters below 1000 m. Their concentration in the surface layer indicates that this life stage is likely to be highly exposed to surface fisheries and vessel traffic in the region.
KEYWORDS
Yanhui Zhu (Corresponding Author)
- Laboratory of Marine Ecosystem Change Analysis, Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Hokkaido 060-0811, Japan
Itsuki Kiyatake (Corresponding Author)
- Osaka Aquarium KAIYUKAN, Osaka, Osaka 552-0022, Japan
Yuta Sakuragi (Co-author)
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
Shunsuke Noma (Co-author)
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
Takaomi Ito (Co-author)
- Osaka Aquarium KAIYUKAN, Osaka, Osaka 552-0022, Japan
Kazuhiro Nakaya (Co-author)
- Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Hokkaido 041-8611, Japan
Amane Nakamura (Co-author)
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
Kenji Minami (Co-author)
- Laboratory of Marine Ecosystem Change Analysis, Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Hokkaido 060-0811, Japan
Kazushi Miyashita (Co-author)
- Laboratory of Marine Ecosystem Change Analysis, Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Hokkaido 060-0811, Japan
Handling Editor:
Robin W. Baird, Olympia, Washington, USA
Reviewers:
J. Polovina and 2 anonymous referees