Assessing the reproductive biology of the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus)
The Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus, Squaliformes: Somniosidae) is a long-lived Arctic top predator, which in combination with the high historical and modern fishing pressures, has made it subject to increased scientific focus in recent years. Key aspects of reproduction are not well known...
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Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/11250/2735487 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0238986 |
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ftunivbergen:oai:bora.uib.no:11250/2735487 2023-05-15T15:05:28+02:00 Assessing the reproductive biology of the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) Nielsen, Julius Hedeholm, Rasmus B. Lynghammar, Arve McClusky, Leon Mendel Berland, Bjørn Steffensen, John Fleng Christiansen, Jørgen Schou 2020 application/pdf https://hdl.handle.net/11250/2735487 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0238986 eng eng Public Library of Science urn:issn:1932-6203 https://hdl.handle.net/11250/2735487 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0238986 cristin:1838129 PLOS ONE, 2020. Navngivelse 4.0 Internasjonal http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.no Copyright 2020 Nielsen et al. PLOS ONE 15 10 Journal article Peer reviewed 2020 ftunivbergen https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0238986 2023-03-14T17:41:00Z The Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus, Squaliformes: Somniosidae) is a long-lived Arctic top predator, which in combination with the high historical and modern fishing pressures, has made it subject to increased scientific focus in recent years. Key aspects of reproduction are not well known as exemplified by sparse and contradictory information e.g. on birth size and number of pups per pregnancy. This study represents the first comprehensive work on Greenland shark reproductive biology based on data from 312 specimens collected over the past 60 years. We provide guidelines quantifying reproductive parameters to assess specific maturation stages, as well as calculate body length-at-maturity (TL50) which was 2.84±0.06 m for males and 4.19±0.04 m for females. From the available information on the ovarian fecundity of Greenland sharks as well as a meta-analysis of Squaliform reproductive parameters, we estimate up to 200–324 pups per pregnancy (depending on maternal size) with a body length-at-birth of 35–45 cm. These estimates remain to be verified by future observations from gravid Greenland sharks. publishedVersion Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Greenland Somniosus microcephalus University of Bergen: Bergen Open Research Archive (BORA-UiB) Arctic Greenland PLOS ONE 15 10 e0238986 |
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Open Polar |
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University of Bergen: Bergen Open Research Archive (BORA-UiB) |
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ftunivbergen |
language |
English |
description |
The Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus, Squaliformes: Somniosidae) is a long-lived Arctic top predator, which in combination with the high historical and modern fishing pressures, has made it subject to increased scientific focus in recent years. Key aspects of reproduction are not well known as exemplified by sparse and contradictory information e.g. on birth size and number of pups per pregnancy. This study represents the first comprehensive work on Greenland shark reproductive biology based on data from 312 specimens collected over the past 60 years. We provide guidelines quantifying reproductive parameters to assess specific maturation stages, as well as calculate body length-at-maturity (TL50) which was 2.84±0.06 m for males and 4.19±0.04 m for females. From the available information on the ovarian fecundity of Greenland sharks as well as a meta-analysis of Squaliform reproductive parameters, we estimate up to 200–324 pups per pregnancy (depending on maternal size) with a body length-at-birth of 35–45 cm. These estimates remain to be verified by future observations from gravid Greenland sharks. publishedVersion |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Nielsen, Julius Hedeholm, Rasmus B. Lynghammar, Arve McClusky, Leon Mendel Berland, Bjørn Steffensen, John Fleng Christiansen, Jørgen Schou |
spellingShingle |
Nielsen, Julius Hedeholm, Rasmus B. Lynghammar, Arve McClusky, Leon Mendel Berland, Bjørn Steffensen, John Fleng Christiansen, Jørgen Schou Assessing the reproductive biology of the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) |
author_facet |
Nielsen, Julius Hedeholm, Rasmus B. Lynghammar, Arve McClusky, Leon Mendel Berland, Bjørn Steffensen, John Fleng Christiansen, Jørgen Schou |
author_sort |
Nielsen, Julius |
title |
Assessing the reproductive biology of the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) |
title_short |
Assessing the reproductive biology of the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) |
title_full |
Assessing the reproductive biology of the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) |
title_fullStr |
Assessing the reproductive biology of the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Assessing the reproductive biology of the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) |
title_sort |
assessing the reproductive biology of the greenland shark (somniosus microcephalus) |
publisher |
Public Library of Science |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/11250/2735487 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0238986 |
geographic |
Arctic Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Greenland |
genre |
Arctic Greenland Somniosus microcephalus |
genre_facet |
Arctic Greenland Somniosus microcephalus |
op_source |
PLOS ONE 15 10 |
op_relation |
urn:issn:1932-6203 https://hdl.handle.net/11250/2735487 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0238986 cristin:1838129 PLOS ONE, 2020. |
op_rights |
Navngivelse 4.0 Internasjonal http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.no Copyright 2020 Nielsen et al. |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0238986 |
container_title |
PLOS ONE |
container_volume |
15 |
container_issue |
10 |
container_start_page |
e0238986 |
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1766337164506824704 |