1 Video(s)

Sicklefin lemon shark observed at the Chesterfield-Bellona reef complex in the Coral Sea Marine Park (Southwest Pacific)

The Chesterfield-Bellona atolls and reefs are a vast reef complex located in the Coral Sea Marine Park, established in 2014 in the New Caledonian Economic Exclusive Zone. In 2013, the New Caledonia government supported the first assessment of fish and benthic habitats conducted over the entire area. The assessment provided a primary knowledge base for establishing the importance of these atolls in terms of biodiversity and fished resources. This comprehensive survey relied on an unbaited underwater video technique that enabled to collect 185 successful camera drops distributed over all shallow habitats in the atolls.

The sicklefin lemon shark Negaprion acutidens was observed at the Chesterfield atoll in the Live Coral habitat; it had only been reported once in the same area (Clua and Imirizaldu 2017).

This species is classified as vulnerable by IUCN.

Keywords

Biodiversity, Endangered species, Fishes, Marine protected areas, Extreme environments

Species

Negaprion acutidens (sicklefin lemon shark)

Location

-18.34635N, -22.008438S, 158E, 160W

Temporal extent

2013 - 2013

Acknowledgements

These images were collected during the AMBIO project, "Marine Protected Area, Biodiversity, World Heritage", conceived and lead by the Lagoons, Ecosystems and Sustainable Aquaculture Research Unit of the IFREMER Delegation of New Caledonia. AMBIO was funded by the Government of New Caledonia, the Conservatoire des Espaces Naturels de Nouvelle-Calédonie, the North Province, the South Province, the Loyalty Province and IFREMER. It was co-funded by the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy (Convention HC / 2100903999 - IFREMER 12/1210366 / CF). Project lead: Dominique Pelletier.

How to cite
Pelletier Dominique, Powell Abigail, Roman William, Carpentier Liliane (2021). Sicklefin lemon shark observed at the Chesterfield-Bellona reef complex in the Coral Sea Marine Park (Southwest Pacific). Ifremer. https://doi.org/10.24351/78071

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