Journal Article
Northerly range expansion and first confirmed records of the smalltooth sand tiger shark, Odontaspis ferox , in the United Kingdom and Ireland
David J. Curnick; Rob Deaville; Jenny R. Bortoluzzi; Luke Cameron; Jeanette E. L. Carlsson; Jens Carlsson; Haley R. Dolton; Cat A. Gordon; Phil Hosegood; Alicia Nilsson; Matthew W. Perkins; Kevin J. Purves; Simon Spiro; Marco Vecchiato; Rosie S. Williams; Nicholas L. Payne
Journal of Fish Biology · Vol. 103, Issue 6 · pp. 1549-1555 · 2023
Abstract
Three Odontaspis ferox (confirmed by mtDNA barcoding) were found in the English Channel and Celtic Sea in 2023 at Lepe, UK (50.7846, −1.3508), Kilmore Quay, Ireland (52.1714, −6.5937), and Lyme Bay, UK (50.6448, −2.9302). These are the first records of O. ferox in either country, and extend the species' range by over three degrees of latitude, to >52° N. They were ~275 (female), 433 (female), and 293 cm (male) total length, respectively. These continue a series of new records, possibly indicative of a climate change−induced shift in the species' range.