2026/06/07 by Kristian J. Parton, Gio Reale, Gemma Scotts +1 · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · #Amphibian and Reptile Biology #Animal Behavior and Reproduction #Ichthyology and Marine Biology
paper · doi:10.1111/jfb.70528
openalex publication_date 2026/06/07 · openalex created_date 2026/06/08 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/09
Elasmobranch fishes interact with humans through a diverse repertoire of behavioural responses, some of which have previously been described as agonistic or threat-related displays. Although such behaviours are most often reported in species perceived as potentially dangerous to humans, responses to human approach remain poorly documented across many taxa considered largely non-aggressive. Here, we describe a novel observation of a threat-like display performed in response to an approaching snorkeller by a benthic elasmobranch species typically regarded as low-risk to humans. We identify key behavioural features of the display and explore potential proximate triggers, including spatial context and approach dynamics. This observation contributes to a growing body of evidence that elasmobranch responses to humans are context-dependent and may vary among individuals. More broadly, our findings support the concept of the "anti-predatory response" within elasmobranchs and highlight the importance of documenting subtle behavioural interactions across a wider range of shark species. The behaviour observed here suggests that individual-level variation and behavioural plasticity may play a greater role in human-elasmobranch encounters than previously assumed.