TY - JOUR

T1 - Deep-water observation of scalloped hammerhead Sphyrna lewini in the western Indian Ocean off Tanzania

AU - Moore, Alec

AU - Gates, Andrew

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - A scalloped hammerhead Sphyrna lewini was observed opportunistically from a remotely operated vehicle 1 m off the seabed at 1042 m depth, during hydrocarbon exploration activities in the Ruvuma Basin off Tanzania. The observation, which occurred during night hours, is the deepest accurately recorded for this species and the first deep-water record for the Indian Ocean. The record adds support for the occurrence in deep water during night hours being a widespread and possibly common behaviour in this species, and further expands a small but growing literature that meso- and bathypelagic environments may be of greater importance to elasmobranchs previously considered to be primarily epipelagic.

AB - A scalloped hammerhead Sphyrna lewini was observed opportunistically from a remotely operated vehicle 1 m off the seabed at 1042 m depth, during hydrocarbon exploration activities in the Ruvuma Basin off Tanzania. The observation, which occurred during night hours, is the deepest accurately recorded for this species and the first deep-water record for the Indian Ocean. The record adds support for the occurrence in deep water during night hours being a widespread and possibly common behaviour in this species, and further expands a small but growing literature that meso- and bathypelagic environments may be of greater importance to elasmobranchs previously considered to be primarily epipelagic.

U2 - 10.1017/S1755267215000627

DO - 10.1017/S1755267215000627

M3 - Article

VL - 8

JO - Marine Biodiversity Records

JF - Marine Biodiversity Records

SN - 1755-2672

IS - e91

ER -