Movement patterns of the rare, range-restricted flapnose houndshark Scylliogaleus quecketti (Family: Triakidae) in South Africa

The flapnose houndshark Scylliogaleus quecketti is an endemic, range-restricted houndshark species found within a ~625 km stretch of coast between East London and Richards Bay on the east coast of South Africa. Little is known about the biology and ecology of this species, and it is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. This species was the most common elasmobranch caught in a long-term monitoring project conducted in the Pondoland Marine Protected Area (MPA) from 2006 to 2022. To obtain an understanding of their movement behaviour, individuals were externally dart-tagged (n = 168), and acoustic transmitters were inserted into a small sample of sub-adult and adult individuals (n = 13). A total of 32 (19%) dart-tag recaptures were made with an average distance moved of 213 m. Based on these data, linear home range length was calculated at between 503 and 574 m. Movements of acoustically tagged males and females were localised, with most detections recorded on acoustic receivers in close proximity to the tagging site, thus confirming high residency and site fidelity over multiple years. These findings highlight the value of spatial protection for this species in no-take MPAs within its distribution. Ongoing efforts are required to encourage careful handling and release of individuals by anglers, as well as enforcement of no-take MPAs within the species’ distribution. Consideration should also be given to decommercializing this species as a precautionary approach.