Direct genetic evidence for reproductive philopatry and associated fine-scale migrations in female blacktip reef sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus) in French Polynesia.

Conservation of top predators has been emphasised as essential in an ecosystem due to their role in trophic chain regulation. Optimization of conservation strategies for these endangered marine top predators requires direct estimates of breeding patterns and connectivity, which are essential to understand their population dynamics. While there have been some attempts to investigate breeding patterns of reef sharks from litter reconstruction using molecular analyses, direct fine-scale migrations of female sharks for parturition as well as connectivity at a medium scale, such as between islands, remain mostly unknown. We used microsatellite DNA markers and a likelihood-based parentage analysis to determine breeding patterns of female blacktip reef sharks in Moorea (Society Islands, French Polynesia). Such an approach demonstrates that while most females gave birth at their home island, some migrated to specific nursery areas outside their home range, sometimes going to another island (up ...