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Investigating manta ray collective movements via drone surveys

View ORCID ProfileRobert J. Y. Perryman, View ORCID ProfileCulum Brown, View ORCID ProfileAshley J. W. Ward, View ORCID ProfileM. I. A. Kent
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.07.29.501955
Robert J. Y. Perryman
1The Fish Lab, Department of Biological Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
2Marine Megafauna Foundation, West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.A.
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  • For correspondence: robert.perryman@mq.edu.au
Culum Brown
1The Fish Lab, Department of Biological Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
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Ashley J. W. Ward
3School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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M. I. A. Kent
3School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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Abstract

Detailed observational research on free-ranging species of marine megafauna is required to understand their behavioural ecology, including how groups respond to environmental and anthropogenic pressures. New technologies are opening up potential for research on these species in the wild, especially on group-based and collective behaviours. Reef manta rays (Mobula alfredi) are socially interactive elasmobranchs that form groups in coastal reef habitats. Collective behaviours are likely important to their fitness, but may be disturbed by humans. Using small, remotely-piloted drones, we performed aerial observations of manta ray groups in Raja Ampat, West Papua. We empirically quantified patterns of collective movement including relative spatial positions, alignment, speed and leadership positions of conspecifics. We found unique patterns of spatial positioning, alignment and leadership, including differences between sexes, and high levels of local attraction, which were suggestive of distinct collective behaviour states. We suggest that ‘rules of interaction’ in manta rays vary at the individual level and can shift depending on local environmental and social conditions. Leader-follower behaviour likely has broad importance to cohesive movement and social behaviour in M. alfredi. We suggest that further studies on manta ray movement should consider utilising models of collective motion that capture group-level behavioural processes.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Posted August 01, 2022.
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Investigating manta ray collective movements via drone surveys
Robert J. Y. Perryman, Culum Brown, Ashley J. W. Ward, M. I. A. Kent
bioRxiv 2022.07.29.501955; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.07.29.501955
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Investigating manta ray collective movements via drone surveys
Robert J. Y. Perryman, Culum Brown, Ashley J. W. Ward, M. I. A. Kent
bioRxiv 2022.07.29.501955; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.07.29.501955

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