Ichthyology and Marine Biology

Cartilage canals in sharks and rays show that blood vessels can exist in mature cartilage without triggering endochondral bone formation

This study shows that sharks and rays have cartilage canals in their adult skeletons, which are vascular but do not trigger endochondral bone formation, suggesting an ancient role in nutrient transport.

From wings to tails: a general framework for inferring dispersal potential from morphology

The paper tests if caudal fin aspect ratio in sharks can infer dispersal potential, finding no latitudinal gradient and associations with habitat and body size.

The allometry of spiracles and gill slits: a window into the respiratory capacity of rays

The paper examines the allometry of spiracles and gill slits in rays to infer respiratory capacity and metabolic rate across species.

BATOseq-PE: A public batoid DNA library with the first molecular insights into the cryptic diversity, genetic health, and management of Peruvian marine rays

The paper develops BATOseq-PE, a public genetic library for Peruvian marine batoids, revealing cryptic diversity and genetic health issues, and proposes management strategies based on genetic and ecological data.

A first description of the ichthyofauna of the Namibian Islands Marine Protected Area using baited remote underwater video systems

This study uses BRUVs to survey fish diversity in NIMPA, finding five elasmobranchs and three threatened species, with depth affecting abundance but not habitat.

Why are fishers retaining manta and devil ray bycatch?

This study identifies financial and non-financial motivations for retaining manta and devil ray bycatch in Indian fisheries and provides context-specific conservation recommendations.

The emerging medium-scale: Prioritising fisheries management for elasmobranch conservation.

The paper assesses medium-capacity fishing vessels' impact on mobulid bycatch and recommends reclassifying fisheries to improve elasmobranch conservation.

Early Ontogenetic Development of Tessellated Calcified Cartilage in Chondrichthyans

This study examines the early ontogenetic development of tessellated calcified cartilage in chondrichthyans across four groups, revealing morphological diversity and developmental timing of specialized features.

No single measure is enough: Recovery of the Critically Endangered Mobula mobular requires integrated maximum bycatch mitigation and nursery area protection.

This paper assesses the risk of functional extinction for the spinetail devil ray and shows that integrated bycatch mitigation and nursery area protection are needed for population recovery.

Comparative analyses of tailbeat frequency and stride length reveal how regionally endothermic fishes cruise fast

The paper compares tailbeat frequency and stride length across fish species to show how RM endothermy increases cruising speed, with tunas and lamnid sharks showing distinct kinematic traits.

A boundary-referenced framework for quantifying shoreline-associated movement in white sharks

This study develops a boundary-referenced framework to analyze white shark movement relative to shorelines, revealing common movement patterns and site-specific behaviors.

An open-access CT-based 3D anatomical dataset of extant sharks across all major lineages

The paper presents an open-access 3D anatomical dataset of extant sharks, providing segmented and annotated models for comparative anatomy and evolutionary studies.

Sharks, Rays, & MPAs: Evaluating protected area coverage in national waters across species ranges

The paper assesses the effectiveness of marine protected areas (MPAs) in protecting sharks and rays by analyzing coverage within national waters and identifying significant gaps in protection and reporting.

Biological and ecological insights from a rare underwater footage of the white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) in the Mediterranean Sea

The paper analyzes rare underwater footage of white sharks in the Mediterranean to provide ecological insights and update species records.

Migratory connectivity of pelagic predators between tropical Atlantic islands and seamounts revealed through passive acoustic telemetry

The paper uses passive acoustic telemetry to reveal long-distance migrations of pelagic predators between tropical Atlantic islands and seamounts, showing connectivity across large spatial scales.

Female site fidelity and repeated pairings across years in bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) inhabiting Fiji waters

The paper uses population genomics to study reproductive connectivity and kinship in bull sharks across different life stages and locations in Fiji.

Phylogeography of the electric rays of the family Narcinidae (Gill, 1862): systematic review and evidence of the dispersal routes to America.

This study investigates the phylogeography of electric rays in the family Narcinidae, identifying dispersal routes and molecular systematics, revealing non-monophyly and new species distributions.

Remote underwater photographs reveal environmental correlations and patterns in reef manta ray habitat use in Laamu Atoll, Maldives

This study uses remote underwater photographs to analyze environmental factors influencing reef manta ray habitat use in Laamu Atoll, finding correlations with chlorophyll-a, moon phases, and monsoon seasons.

Scraping the Surface: First Records of Cleaning Associations Between Sharks and Oceanic Manta Rays

The paper documents first observations of shark-manta ray scraping interactions in the Revillagigedo Archipelago, showing sharks using manta rays as cleaning substrates and varying manta responses.

Hypanus brevis: a newly resurrected Eastern South Pacific stingray lineage revealed by integrative taxonomy

The paper resurrects Hypanus brevis as a distinct species from H. dipterurus using genetic and morphological analyses, revealing a divergence around 5.6 Ma and suggesting conservation concerns due to a genetic bottleneck.

Tracks, Maps and Gaps: A Testable Research Definition for Critical Chondrichthyan Areas, European Atlantic Insights

This paper defines a testable framework for identifying critical chondrichthyan areas and applies it to the European Atlantic, highlighting evidence gaps and research biases.

3-D Ontogenetic Staging Atlas of the Epaulette Shark Hemiscyllium ocellatum, a Laboratory Model for Shark Development

The paper presents a 3-D developmental atlas of the epaulette shark using micro-CT imaging and integrates it with the genome to support comparative studies.

Kinematics and timing of escape responses in Spotted Ratfish (Hydrolagus colliei) and comparison with elasmobranchs and teleosts

This study quantifies escape response kinematics in Spotted Ratfish, showing faster performance than elasmobranchs but slower than teleosts, suggesting M-cells enhance escape efficiency.

Fine-scale habitat partitioning of sympatric stingrays revealed by drone-based remote sensing and deep learning

The paper uses drone-based remote sensing and deep learning to reveal fine-scale habitat partitioning among sympatric stingrays in a coastal lagoon.

Phylogenomics and the origins of sharks

This study uses genome data from 48 chondrichthyan species to test shark monophyly, finding conflicting results across genomic markers.

Seasonal dynamics in the trophic ecology and condition of a marine, benthic mesopredator, the southern stingray, Hypanus americanus

This study examines seasonal changes in the trophic ecology and condition of southern stingrays in Bimini, Bahamas, using stable isotopes and blood parameters.

Conservation relevant fine scale distribution and habitat associations of threatened elasmobranchs in temperate nearshore waters

The paper surveys elasmobranch distribution and habitat associations in Scottish nearshore waters using SBRUVs, finding critical habitat use patterns for threatened species.

Global gaps and priorities for shark and ray conservation: Integrating threat, function, and evolutionary distinctiveness

The paper identifies global conservation priorities for sharks and rays by analyzing threat levels, functional roles, and evolutionary distinctiveness, revealing protection deficits and conflicts with fishing pressures.

Animal tracking with particle algorithms for conservation

This paper improves animal movement modeling using particle algorithms to enhance MPA design and conservation efforts for flapper skates.

FINS - A global occurrence dataset of fossil neoselachians from the Cretaceous to the Quaternary

The paper presents FINS, a comprehensive dataset of fossil neoselachian occurrences from the Cretaceous to the Quaternary, doubling the number of records in the Paleobiology Database.