Evidence for gene flow from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean in bonnethead sharks ().

Gene flow is important for maintaining the genetic diversity required for adaptation to environmental disturbances, though gene flow may be limited by site fidelity in small coastal sharks. Bonnethead sharks ()-a small coastal hammerhead species-demonstrate site fidelity, as females are philopatric while males migrate to mediate gene flow. Consequently, bonnetheads demonstrate population divergence with distance, and Atlantic populations are genetically distinct from those of the Gulf of Mexico.

Philopatry influences the genetic population structure of the blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus) at multiple spatial scales.

Understanding how interactions among microevolutionary forces generate genetic population structure of exploited species is vital to the implementation of management policies that facilitate persistence. Philopatry displayed by many coastal shark species can impact gene flow and facilitate selection, and has direct implications for the spatial scales of management. Here, genetic structure of the blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus) was examined using a mixed-marker approach employing mitochondrial control region sequences and 4339 SNP-containing loci generated using ddRAD-Seq.

Escaped bait: Bull shark Carcharhinus leucas with an intentionally attached harness rig.

A 193 cm total length female bull shark Carcharhinus leucas was captured in Florida bearing intentionally attached materials which resembled a harness. Harness-type live bait rigs are commonly used for small baitfish; some anglers use such devices with small sharks when targeting large sharks and bony fish. Biofouling on the apparatus and the extent of the injuries indicated the material had likely been on the shark for several years.

Modulation of shark prey capture kinematics in response to sensory deprivation.

The ability of predators to modulate prey capture in response to the size, location, and behavior of prey is critical to successful feeding on a variety of prey types. Modulating in response to changes in sensory information may be critical to successful foraging in a variety of environments. Three shark species with different feeding morphologies and behaviors were filmed using high-speed videography while capturing live prey: the ram-feeding blacktip shark, the ram-biting bonnethead, and the suction-feeding nurse shark.

Sexually Monomorphic Maps and Dimorphic Responses in Rat Genital Cortex.

Mammalian external genitals show sexual dimorphism [1, 2] and can change size and shape upon sexual arousal. Genitals feature prominently in the oldest pieces of figural art [3] and phallic depictions of penises informed psychoanalytic thought about sexuality [4, 5]. Despite this longstanding interest, the neural representations of genitals are still poorly understood [6].

Smells Like Home: The Role of Olfactory Cues in the Homing Behavior of Blacktip Sharks, Carcharhinus limbatus.

Animal navigation in the marine environment is believed to be guided by different sensory cues over different spatial scales. Geomagnetic cues are thought to guide long-range navigation, while visual or olfactory cues allow animals to pinpoint precise locations, but the complete behavioral sequence is not yet understood. Terra Ceia Bay is a primary nursery area for blacktip sharks, Carcharhinus limbatus, on southwestern Florida's Gulf of Mexico coast.

Multisensory integration and behavioral plasticity in sharks from different ecological niches.

The underwater sensory world and the sensory systems of aquatic animals have become better understood in recent decades, but typically have been studied one sense at a time. A comprehensive analysis of multisensory interactions during complex behavioral tasks has remained a subject of discussion without experimental evidence. We set out to generate a general model of multisensory information extraction by aquatic animals.

Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) switch feeding modalities in response to sensory deprivation.

Animals use a suite of sensory modalities to precisely locate and capture prey. While numerous studies have examined the effects of sensory deprivation on the behaviors leading to prey capture and while it is generally believed that information in the pre-strike period determines the way fish capture prey, this study is the first to examine the contribution of sensory information to jaw kinematics during capture. Largemouth bass were filmed using high-speed videography while capturing live mosquitofish.

Feeding anatomy, filter-feeding rate, and diet of whale sharks Rhincodon typus during surface ram filter feeding off the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.

The feeding anatomy, behavior and diet of the whale shark Rhincodon typus were studied off Cabo Catoche, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. The filtering apparatus is composed of 20 unique filtering pads that completely occlude the pharyngeal cavity. A reticulated mesh lies on the proximal surface of the pads, with openings averaging 1.

The function of bilateral odor arrival time differences in olfactory orientation of sharks.

The direction of an odor signal source can be estimated from bilateral differences in signal intensity and/or arrival time. The best-known examples of the use of arrival time differences are in acoustic orientation. For chemoreception, animals are believed to orient by comparing bilateral odor concentration differences, turning toward higher concentrations.

Sharks need the lateral line to locate odor sources: rheotaxis and eddy chemotaxis.

Odor plumes are complex, dynamic, three-dimensional structures used by many animals to locate food, mates, home sites, etc. Yet odor itself has no directional properties. Animals use a variety of different senses to obtain directional information.