Diel and seasonal variation in the use of a nearshore sandflat by a ray community in a near pristine system

摘要: Knowledge of movements and habitat use is necessary to assess a species’ ecological role especially important for mesopredators because they provide the link between upper lower trophic levels. Using acoustic telemetry, we examined coarse-scale diel seasonal elasmobranch on shallow sandflat in Shark Bay, Western Australia. Giant shovelnose rays (Glaucostegus typus) reticulate whiprays (Himantura uarnak) were most often detected nearshore microhabitats regularly throughout day year, although tended frequent monitored array over longer periods. Pink (H. fai) cowtail stingrays (Pastinachus atrus) also day, but far less frequently detected. Overall, there was no apparent spatial or temporal partitioning sandflats, residency area varied species. In addition, ray presence year suggests that previously observed differences abundance are likely changes rather than large-scale migrations. Continuous sandflats limited within this community have potential be structuring force system focusing habitats managing subtropical populations.