First records of the Pacific sleeper shark Somniosus cf. pacificus in the western tropical Pacific

Authors

Louw Claassens, Palau International Coral Reef Center
Brennan Phillips, University of Rhode Island
David A. Ebert, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories
Denley Delaney, National Geographic Society
Brad Henning, National Geographic Society
Victor Nestor, Palau International Coral Reef Center
Adrian Ililau, Palau International Coral Reef Center
Jonatha Giddens, National Geographic Society

Document Type

Article

Date of Original Version

11-1-2023

Abstract

Technological advances have enabled the expansion of ocean exploration to include the deep ocean, providing new species observations. Here, the authors present two new observations, captured by deep-sea cameras, of the sleeper shark Somniosus cf. pacificus from the Solomon Islands and Palau. This presents the first observation of S. cf. pacificus in the western Pacific tropics and extends its range about 2000 nautical miles south. The observations presented here provide much-needed information on the range of this species which can help guide future management and conservation actions.

Publication Title, e.g., Journal

Journal of Fish Biology

Volume

103

Issue

5

Citation/Publisher Attribution

Claassens, Louw, Brennan Phillips, David A. Ebert, Denley Delaney, Brad Henning, Victor Nestor, Adrian Ililau, and Jonatha Giddens. "First records of the Pacific sleeper shark Somniosus cf. pacificus in the western tropical Pacific." Journal of Fish Biology 103, 5 (2023). doi: 10.1111/jfb.15487.