Abstract
This study describes the diet of the sandbar shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus, highlighting differences in diet within various regions of the Virginia (USA) nursery area, as well as ontogenetic changes in diet. Stomach samples were obtained in 2001 and 2002 from 232 sharks caught by gillnets or longlines. Historical data from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) Shark Ecology Program were also analyzed. Ontogenetic changes in diet were evident, with crustacean prey decreasing in frequency with increasing shark size, and elasmobranch prey importance increasing with increasing shark size. Whereas previous research in Chincoteague Bay, VA showed the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, was the dominant crustacean in sandbar shark diet, the mantis shrimp, Squilla empusa, dominated the crustacean portion of the diet in this study. Differences in diet of sharks were observed among locations within the study area. Small juveniles (≤80 cm precaudal length) in the lower Chesapeake Bay ate more fishes, whereas Eastern Shore juveniles ate more crustaceans. Crustacean prey items varied among locations along the Eastern Shore, with more portunid crabs consumed in waters near Wachapreague and more mantis shrimp consumed near Sand Shoal Inlet. Our study showed that Carcharhinus plumbeus is a generalist predator and is thus unlikely to strongly impact the population of any particular prey species, and in turn is not likely to be strongly affected by fluctuations in abundance of a single prey species.
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Acknowledgments
This work represents part of a thesis presented to the College of William and Mary (School of Marine Science) by the first author. We are grateful for the advice and assistance of thesis advisory committee members Enric Cortés, Herb Austin and David Evans. Thanks also to colleagues Christina Conrath, Wes Dowd, Jason Romine, Erin Seney and Jim Gartland. Field work would not have been possible without L.␣Durand Ward and Jeff Gibbs of the R/V Bay Eagle, and P.G. Ross of the R/V Oyster; their hard work is much appreciated. Thanks to R. Dean Grubbs and to anonymous reviewers for their aid in improving the manuscript. This research was made possible in part by NOAA/NMFS funding to the National Shark Research Consortium. This is Virginia Institute of Marine Science Contribution 2758.
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Ellis, J.K., Musick, J.A. Ontogenetic changes in the diet of the sandbar shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus, in lower Chesapeake Bay and Virginia (USA) coastal waters. Environ Biol Fish 80, 51–67 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-006-9116-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-006-9116-2