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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Thomas Linley, Dr Alan Jamieson
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© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom.The Red Sea is a largely homogeneous water column beyond the top 300 m, unique in exhibiting warm bottom water (~21.5 °C) at depths down to ~2900 m. The unusual conditions coupled with barriers to colonization by primary deep-sea species has resulted in an impoverished but distinct deep fauna. This study presents a rare investigation of the deep Red Sea. The bigeye hound shark Iago omanensis is a known deep-sea shark in the Red Sea. However, its full depth distribution has never been conclusively studied. Here, we confirm with videographic evidence the presence of I. omanensis at depths to 2522 m in the Red Sea, along with observations of other deep-sea species. Iago omanensis was the only species of scavenging fish observed and only in moderate numbers. The additional six species were mostly crustacea in low abundance. The lack of scavenging species present in the deep Red Sea is likely explained by the low productivity of the overlying surface waters and unusually warm water temperature resulting in low energetic input but high metabolic demands in deep communities.
Author(s): Pearce JR, Linley TD, Bond T, Jamieson AJ
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
Year: 2023
Volume: 103
Online publication date: 24/01/2023
Acceptance date: 25/10/2022
ISSN (print): 0025-3154
ISSN (electronic): 1469-7769
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
URL: https://doi.org/10.1017/S002531542200100X
DOI: 10.1017/S002531542200100X
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