Fisheries Research Articles
Life history of the common blacktip shark, Carcharhinus limbatus, from central eastern Australia and comparative demography of a cryptic shark complex
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-22-2019
Journal Title
Marine and Freshwater Research
ISSN
Print: 1323-1650 Electronic: 1448-6059
Keywords
age and growth, Chondrichthyes, fisheries management, reproductive biology
Disciplines
Aquaculture and Fisheries | Marine Biology
Abstract
Common and Australian blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus and Carcharhinus tilstoni) occur sympatrically in Australia, where they are reported as a complex because of their morphological similarities. This study provides the first description of the life history of C. limbatus using samples from central eastern Australia, where C. tilstoni is rare. Females (68–267 cm total length (TL); n = 183) and males (65–255 cm TL; n = 292) both matured at 8.3 years and 200 cm TL, which exceeds the maximum length of C. tilstoni. Vertebral ageing revealed that female and male C. limbatus lived to 22 and 24 years respectively, exceeding known longevity in C. tilstoni. The mean (±s.d.) intrinsic rate of population increase calculated using a Euler–Lotka demographic method was 0.11 ± 0.02 year–1 for C. limbatus, compared with 0.17 ± 0.02 and 0.20 ± 0.03 year–1 for two C. tilstoni stocks. Despite their similar appearance, these species differed in both their biological productivity and susceptibility to fishing activities. Monitoring of relative abundance should be a priority given they are likely to have divergent responses to fishing.
Recommended Citation
Harry, A V,
Butcher, P A,
Macbeth, W G,
Morgan, J A,
Taylor, S M,
and
Geraghty, P T.
(2019), Life history of the common blacktip shark, Carcharhinus limbatus, from central eastern Australia and comparative demography of a cryptic shark complex. Marine and Freshwater Research, 70 (6), 834-848.
https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/fr_fja/121
