Title
Population structure and residency of whale sharks Rhincodon typus at Utila, Bay Islands, Honduras
Author(s)
Fox, S.;Foisy, I.;Venegas, R. D.;Pastoriza, B. E. G.;Graham, R. T.;Hoffmayer, E. R.;Holmberg, J.;Pierce, S. J.
Published
2013
Publisher
Journal of Fish Biology
Published Version DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.12195
Abstract
There were 479 reported whale shark Rhincodon typus encounters between 1999 and 2011 at the island of Utila, which forms part of the Meso-American Barrier Reef System (MBRS) in the western Caribbean Sea. The majority of R. typus were found to feed on small bait fish associated with various tuna species. Ninety-five individual R. typus, ranging from 2 to 11 m total length (L-T), were identified through their unique spot patterns. A significant male bias (65%) was present. There was no significant difference between the mean +/- S.D. L-T of female (6.66 +/- 1.65 m) and male (6.25 +/- 1.60 m) R. typus. Most R. typus were transient to Utila, with 78% sighted only within a single calendar year, although some individuals were sighted in up to 5 years. Mean residency time was modelled to be 11.76 days using maximum likelihood methods. (C) 2013 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles

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PUB13775