NEWSLETTER 06+07/2023 23.07.2023

NEW PARTNERS OF SHARK-REFERENCES

Name: Aymeric Bein
 
Affiliation: NGO Shark Citizen

The NGO, whose primary goal is the conservation of sharks around the world, brings together people from all walks of life. Shark Citizen promotes dialogue and exchange to involve all stakeholders in better protecting sharks and their habitats. Shark Citizen aims to:

• Inform the public about shark-related issues through information, mediation and awareness-raising activities;
• Set up or participate in scientific projects aimed at acquiring knowledge about shark populations;
• Develop a collaborative dynamic with individuals or professional structures concerned with the sea, whether economically, socially, culturally, scientifically, or for sport;
• Support the active protection of shark species in French waters and within the French maritime fleets, wherever they operate in the world.

Would you like to become a shark-reference partner? Please contact us per E-mail!

NEW SECTION: From now on, we will report last month’s most popular three papers from our Shark References Facebook page:

Nr. 1 (95 Likes/Emojis, 24 Shares):

A new species of hornshark is described from northwestern Australia based on six whole specimens and a single egg case. Heterodontus marshallae n. sp. was previously considered to be conspecific with H. zebra from the Western Pacific.
Open Access!
White, W.T. & Mollen, F.H. & O’Neill, H.L. & Yang, L. & Naylor, G.J.P. 2023 Species in Disguise: A New Species of Hornshark from Northern Australia (Heterodontiformes: Heterodontidae). Diversity, 15(7), Article 849
https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/7/849
https://shark-references.com/.../Heterodontus-marshallae

Nr. 2 (80 Likes/Emojis, 25 Shares):

The authors report the first observation in Florida of piebaldism in a nurse shark, defined as the partial loss of body pigmentation but with a regular coloration of eyes.
Becker, M.A. & Kline, C.G. & Maisch, H.M. & Sternes, P.C. & Shimada, K. 2023 First-hand observations of rare piebaldism in the nurse shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum, near East Bahia Honda, Florida Keys, Florida. Florida Scientist, 86(1), 13–16
Many thanks to Dr. Marty Becker and Phillip Sternes for sharing!

Nr. 3 (76 Likes/Emojis, 46 Shares):

Another new discoverd shark species! OPEN ACCESS!
Angel sharks (genus Squatina) are small- to medium-sized sharks with flattened bodies, that live on the seafloor. Until now, 23 valid species of angel sharks have been identified around the world, of which over half are thought to be facing a moderate to severe risk of extinction. Several juvenile angel sharks were collected by researchers working on the Mascarene Plateau, an elevated area of seabed in the Indian Ocean, in 1988 and 1989. They appeared different in coloration and in body shape and structure to a species known from East Africa and Madagascar, the African angel shark. Additional angel sharks were caught off the western coast of India in 2016 and in the central western Indian Ocean in 2017, including adult individuals. Information on body measurements and skeleton structure were collected, and genetic analyses were also conducted on these sharks and on museum specimens previously identified as African angel sharks. The results indicated that the specimens collected from the Mascarene Plateau and off southwestern India were a species that is new to science. It is genetically and morphologically distinct from the African angel shark; is smaller when born and when fully grown; and lives in a distinctly different area. The newly described species has been named Lea’s angel shark.
Weigmann, S. & Vaz, D.F.B. & Akhilesh, K.V. & Leeney, R.H. & Naylor, G.J.P. 2023 Revision of the Western Indian Ocean Angel Sharks, Genus Squatina (Squatiniformes, Squatinidae), with Description of a New Species and Redescription of the African Angel Shark Squatina africana Regan, 1908. Biology, 12(7), Article 975
https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/12/7/975
https://shark-references.com/species/view/Squatina-leae
image by the authors

New Images

Missing papers:

Many thanks to all friends of shark-references, who sent us some missing papers last month!

Shark-References would kindly like to ask you for your contribution to this project.

At the moment we are looking for some of the following papers:


Extinct Chondrichthyes:

new entry: Priem, R. (1920) Poissons fossils du Miocène d’Egypte. Burdigalien de Moghara, „Désert libyque“. In Fourtau: Contribution à l’étude des vertébrés miocènes de l’Egypte. Cairo 1920, pp. 8-15.

new entry:  Arambourg, C. (1954) Les Poissons Crétacés du Jebel Tselfat (Maroc). Notes et Mémoires du Service Géologique du Maroc, 118: 188 pp 18 Taf.

Numano, M. (1993) Some Neogene shark-teeth from Mogami area, Yamagata Prefecture. Applied Geology of Yamagata, 13: 32–49



Extant Chondrichthyes:

Chu, Y.-T.  (1930) A new species of the swallow ray (Pteroplatea) from China. China Journal, 12(6): 357.

Smith, J.L.B. (1958) The mystery killer, the new shark Carcharhinus vanrooyeni. Veld & Vlei, 3 (9): 12–14, 28.

Deng, S.-M. & Xiong, G.-Q. & Zhan, H.-X. (1988) The deep water fishes of the east China Sea. Xue Lin Publishing house: 356 pp.

new entry: Barry, J.P. & Maher, N. (2000) Observations of the prickly shark, Echinorhinus cookei, from the oxygen minimum zone in Santa Barbara Basin, California. California Fish and Game, 86(3), 213–215



Please support www.shark-references.com and send missing papers (not listed papers or papers without the info-symbol) to juergen.pollerspoeck@shark-references.com or nicolas.straube@shark-references.com

Upcoming Meetings:

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Indo-Pacific Fish Conference and the Australian Society for Fish Biology

20-24 November 2023, Auckland, New Zealand
Keep me updated

We look forward to welcoming you to the University of Auckland, located in the heart of Auckland city.  We invite you to come and meet the people that live and work here, explore our beautiful city and hope that you leave with lasting friends, partnerships and memories.

The Organising Committee look forward to welcoming you to the 11th Indo-Pacific Fish Conference (IPFC) and Annual Conference of the Australian Society for Fish Biology, to be held 20-24 November 2023 at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

The Indo-Pacific Fish Conference (IPFC), held every four years, is undoubtedly one of the world’s premier ichthyological conferences and is eagerly anticipated by marine, estuarine and freshwater fish enthusiasts alike.

The Australian Society for Fish Biology (ASFB), founded in 1971, aims to promote research, education and management of fish and fisheries across the Indo-Pacific.

We are excited to bring these two conference together in a joint meeting that will reflect the extraordinary biological, environmental and cultural diversity of the vast Indo-Pacific region.

Auckland is a modern city offering a variety of cultural experiences, accommodation and entertainment options for every taste and budget. The city is a key regional hub, with transport connections to multiple cities across New Zealand, Australia, the Pacific and beyond.

The University of Auckland is an internationally recognised university that provides outstanding conference facilities and conference support within easy walking distance of the city centre. An exciting programme of conference field trips will allow attendees to sample the diversity of regional marine and freshwater ecosystems. Before or after the conference, delegates could explore Auckland’s magnificent Hauraki Gulf and its beautiful islands. The jewel of the gulf is Waiheke Island, a haven of vineyards, olive groves, beaches and fine dining, just a 40-minute ferry ride from downtown Auckland. For an exciting day trip, discover the history and sandy coves of Rotoroa Island, explore the open wildlife sanctuary of Tiritiri Matangi Island or climb the volcanic cone of Rangitoto Island for incredible views from the summit. If you have a little more time, travel south for a summer holiday to discover the majestic Milford and Doubtful Sounds, encounter marine life in Abel Tasman National Park, enjoy New Zealand’s beautiful Bay of Islands, or maybe plan a field trip or tropical holiday on one of the many Pacific islands that are only a short flight away from Auckland.

We look forward to welcoming you to Auckland in 2023!

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Fossil Fish symposium at XVII European Congress of Ichthyology 2023, 4th – 8th September 2023, Prague
 
 
On September 4-8, 2023, the European Congress of Ichthyology (ECI XVII) will take place in the wonderful city of Prague (Czech Republic). Following earlier meetings of the informal palaeoichtyologist community in Munich (2019) and Paris (2022), ECI XVII is a great opportunity for our next ‘Fossil Fish symposium’. Please see the attachment for its description.
 
The Website for ECI XVII is: http://eci23.agrobiologie.cz/
Abstract submission deadline is March 30, 2023
Registration deadline is June 15, 2023
We would be very pleased if you would like to attend and to contribute. Please forward this e-mail also to the members of your group and colleagues.
 
With our best wishes and looking forward to seeing you in Prague
 
The organization team of the symposium
Gloria Arratia (University of Kansas, Lawrence, USA)
Olga Otero (Université de Poitiers, France)
Tomáš Přikryl (Institute of Geology, Praha, Czech Republic)
Bettina Reichenbacher (Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany)

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The 8th edition of the
International Meeting on the Valorization and Preservation of Paleontological Heritage (RIV3P8)
November 23 - 25, 2023 (El Jadida - Morocco)
https://sites.google.com/view/riv3p8

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Welcome

To the German Ichthyological Society

Save the Date - 19th Meeting of the Society for Ichthyology (GfI) e.V. October 12-15, 2023 at the University of Applied Sciences in Bremen

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From Early Life to the Neandertals

For the first time since founding of the Palaeontological Society (PalGes) in Greifswald 1912 the annual meeting takes place in Jena. This is only the second time in Thuringia since the 1925 meeting in Weimar. We, from the Institute of Geosciences (IGW) at the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, are glad to invite the members of the Society to our city at the river Saale. The city is a special location, stretching along the river, which is carving into a Muschelkalk plateau with Buntsandstein outcropping below. The surrounding Muschelkalk heights provide marvellous sights over the city. Our institute is located on the slope of the Hausberg in the eastern part of Jena. It was re-founded 1992 and still grows with an increasing number of scientists. Jena houses the most important university of Thuringia and is also a flourishing economic centre with companies like ZEISS and SCHOTT, it is popular for its touristic sights and a wide range of restaurants. The Thuringian palaeontology has a long tradition and is famous for fossils from the Permian, Triassic and Quaternary. We can offer a diverse range of excursions covering fossil sites from the late Palaeozoic to the Quaternary. The organisation of the meeting is supported by colleagues from Thüringischer Geologischer Verein (TGV), Stiftung Schloss Friedenstein Gotha, Museum Schloss Bertholdsburg Schleusingen, Research Station of Quaternary Palaeontology Weimar, and Phyletical Museum Jena. We are looking forward to welcome you in Jena and hear your presentations at 94. Annual Meeting of the PalGes in Jena!

The first circular for the meeting was published today and can be downloaded HERE.

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https://whitesharksglobal.com/

The organising committee is pleased to announce the upcoming White Sharks Global conference (Sunday 12th – Friday 17th of November 2023) in Port Lincoln, South Australia, home of the world’s first white shark tourism industry.
 
White Sharks Global is the first international white shark conference in 13 years and will provide a forum for the white shark community and stakeholders to meet, share ideas, and update information and report on recent scientific studies. This conference and associated workshops will facilitate in-depth discussions of key challenges related to white sharks.
 
For more information visit: whitesharksglobal.com and follow @WhiteSharksGlob or contact info@whitesharksglobal.com
 
The last white shark-focused conference was in Hawaii 13 years ago in early 2010 and a lot has research and studies have happened since. 
 
We have planned for five days of conference, with one day free in the middle to allow for a dive trip to the Neptune Islands Group Marine Park. There will be several focused workshops (e.g., supporting the recovery of white shark populations, supporting the management of white shark tourism, managing human-shark conflict), contributed talk sessions (5- and 15-min talks), and poster sessions. Based on previous events and our survey, we are expecting ~150 attendants from across the globe, including research scientists, students, resource managers, public safety officials, wildlife tourism operators, environmental consultants, natural history-based production companies, and television network representatives from countries all over the world such as South Africa, United States, Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, and Canada.
 
[On behalf of the organising committee: Charlie Huveneers (Australia), Christopher Lowe (California), Alison Towner (South Africa), Oscar Sosa-Nishizaki (Mexico), Lauren Meyer (Australia), and Greg Skomal (northwest Atlantic)]

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Extinct Chondrichthyes:
Stumpf, S. & Kettler, C. & Kindlimann, R. & Cuny, G. & Kriwet, J. (2023) The oldest Gondwanan record of the extinct durophagous hybodontiform chondrichthyan, Strophodus from the Bajocian of Morocco. Swiss Journal of Palaeontology, 142, Article 5
New species: Strophodus atlasensis
Abstract: Strophodus is a speciose and geographically widespread taxon of large durophagous hybodontiform chondrichthyan, with a stratigraphic range extending from Middle Triassic to the Early Cretaceous. Here, we describe a new species of Strophodus, S. atlasensis sp. nov., based on an incomplete articulated dentition recovered from marine Bajocian deposits of the eastern High Atlas Mountains in Morocco. The new species is diagnosed by a unique combination of dental characters that includes, among others, the presence of triangular first lateral teeth, mesio-distally wide and bulbous second lateral teeth without an occlusal crest or dome and uniquely shaped first posterior teeth that are shorter mesio-distally than being labio-lingually long, as well as small second posterior teeth whose roots protrude below the crowns to meet each other in an efficient interlocking manner. The holotype and only specimen of Strophodus atlasensis sp. nov. represents the hitherto oldest known record of Strophodus from Gondwana and the first record of that genus from the Bajocian, thus adding valuable novel information to our incomplete understanding of the evolutionary history of extinct hybodontiform chondrichthyans.
 
Guinot, G. & Hautier, L. & Sambou, B.S. & Martin, J.E. (2023) The Upper Cretaceous elasmobranch fauna from Senegal. Cretaceous Research, 146, Article 105480
New genus: Terangabatis, Atlantobatis, Sowibatos
New species: Ptychotrygon nazeensis, Terangabatis thiami, Rhinobatos popenguinensis, Atlantobatis acrodonta, Sowibatos minimus, Dasyatis reticulata, Coupatezia casei, Phosphatodon cretaceus,
Abstract: Three successive horizons were sampled by bulk-sampling across the Campanian–Maastrichtian marine succession at the Cap de Naze cliff, South of Popenguine, Senegal. The material collected includes several hundreds of elasmobranch micro-remains as well as surface-collected specimens that are described in the present work. Twenty-six species are recorded, including three new genera and eight new batomorph species (Ptychotrygon nazeensis sp. nov., Terangabatis thiami gen. et sp. nov., ‘Rhinobatos’ popenguinensis sp. nov., Atlantobatis acrodonta gen. et sp. nov., Sowibatos minimus gen. et sp. nov., ‘Dasyatis’ reticulata sp. nov., Coupatezia casei sp. nov., Phosphatodon cretaceus sp. nov.). These new samplings complement previous records based on surface collection of the Cape de Naze section and bring the number of elasmobranch species for this fauna to 31. Increasing elasmobranch taxonomic diversity throughout the three successive assemblages indicates a transition from restricted marine to open coastal settings. This high-diversity fauna is dominated by necto-benthic batomorphs and is similar in its structure to other Tethyan and Eastern Atlantic Maastrichtian faunas. The high number of species apparently endemic to the studied area suggests high habitat differentiation in corresponding marine Maastrichtian settings. The presence of typical Maastrichtian species in the top of Unit 1 argues against a Campanian age previously proposed for this unit, while our data support a middle–late Maastrichtian age for the ferruginous sandstone bed of Unit 3.
 
Duffin, C.J. & Heckert, A.B. & Hancox, P.J. (2023) A new low diversity lacustrine elasmobranch fauna from the Lower Triassic Burgersdorp Formation of South Africa with descriptions of Lissodus tumidoclavus n. sp. (Chondrichthyes: Hybodontoidea). Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen, 308(2), 151–169
New species: Lissodus tumidoclavus
Abstract: Hybodont chondrichthyans are known from both marine and freshwater assemblages and are globally widespread throughout the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic. However, the dynamics of their diversity before and after the Permo-Triassic extinction are not well understood, as both Late Permian and Early Triassic assemblages are rare, and most assemblages are known from Laurasia. The chondrichthyan fauna of the Early Triassic Langbergia-Garjainia subzone, Cynognathus Assemblage Zone from the farm Driefontein 11, Free State, South Africa, is described for the first time. A new species, Lissodus tumidoclavus n. sp. is established from these freshwater lacustrine deposits, which also include teeth assignable to Polyacrodus n. sp. and a third taxon left in open nomenclature. The new species of Lissodus is the most abundant at Driefontein, represented by hundreds of small (≤ 2.5 mm crown length) teeth from multiple tooth positions and a jaw fragment preserving 14 teeth in four tooth families. Defining characteristics include a vertical ridge along a labial peg that has strong nodes on either its flanks or at the crown-root junction. Specimens of Polyacrodus sp. are rarer (n < 100), larger (up to 4 mm length) and more robust, and the unnamed morphotype is the rarest (n ≤ 25). Like other Early Triassic freshwater chondrichthyan faunas, the Driefontein elasmofauna comprises a low diversity suite of small-sized hybodontiform sharks and may represent a case of reduced diversity and size (“Lilliput effect”) in the aftermath of the end-Permian extinction event.


Parasites:
no news this month!

PLEASE send your new papers to
juergen.pollerspoeck@shark-references.com or 
nicolas.straube@shark-references.com   

Latest Research Articles

MISCELLANEOUS:

About the position

A three-year PhD fellowship in molecular ecology is available at the Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture (FBA), Nord University Bodø, Norway. For the right candidate a four-year position, which also includes 25% teaching, supervision and/or administrative duties, may be possible.

Increasing anthropogenic disturbance of marine ecosystems is leading to loss of keystone species. Fisheries are probably the most important contemporary pressure on natural populations in the marine environment, yet supply vital protein. The selective focus of intensive commercial fisheries demonstrably alters life-history traits. You will use advanced novel genomic approaches to explore the impact of fisheries on spurdog, Squalus acanthias. This study promises unprecedented resolution of population genetics, movement patterns, population estimates, seascape genomics, and genomic footprint of over-fishing.

The position will be available from 1st of January 2024 at the Bodø Campus.

link: https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/246400/phd-in-ecological-genomics-genomic-impacts-of-fisheries-induced-selection-in-the-north-atlantic

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Beyond Jaws

Dr. Willie Bemis, a passionate marine biologist and esteemed professor at Cornell University, has spent much of his career mentoring students and conducting hands-on research experiences. With degrees from Cornell University, the University of Michigan, and the University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Bemis has an impressive educational background. His journey has led him to study diverse marine creatures, from sharks to seals, and even penguins. Dr. Bemis' wealth of knowledge and commitment to inspiring the next generation of marine biologists make him an invaluable guest for discussing the importance of mentorship and hands-on research experience.

Shark shock: Scientists discover filter-feeding basking sharks are warm-bodied like great whites

Date: July 20, 2023

Source: Trinity College Dublin

Summary: Approximately 99.9% of fish and shark species are 'cold-blooded', meaning their body tissues generally match the temperature of the water they swim in -- but researchers have just discovered the mighty basking shark is a one-in-a-thousand exception. Instead, these sharks keep the core regions of their bodies warmer than the water like the most athletic swimmers in the sea such as great white sharks, mako sharks and tuna.

Tiny scales reveal megalodon was not as fast as believed, but it had a mega-appetite explaining its gigantism

DePaul University professor leads discovery of prehistoric shark's intriguing lifestyle

Date: July 11, 2023

Source: Taylor & Francis Group

Summary: A new study reveals the iconic extinct Megalodon, or 'megatooth shark', was a rather slow cruiser that used its warm-bloodedness to facilitate digestion and absorption of nutrients.

Estimating the long-term effects of whale shark feeding practices

Date: July 3, 2023

Source: Flinders University

Summary: Increasing opportunities for up-close encounters with sharks and other animals are making wildlife tourism one of the fastest growing tourism sectors -- leading ecology experts to venture to one of the world's main sites to investigate the effects of tourism on endangered whale sharks. At Oslob in the Philippines, Flinders University's Southern Shark Ecology Group and Global Ecology Lab joined local Filipino researchers to measure how the daily feeding regimes for resident whale shark population might have affected their behaviour and physiology by assessing their activity and metabolic requirements.