Intraguild processes drive space-use patterns in a large-bodied marine predator community

Interspecific interactions, including predator-prey, intraguild predation (IGP), and competition, may drive distribution and habitat use of predator communities. However, elucidating the relative importance of these interactions in shaping predator distributions is challenging, especially in marine communities comprising highly mobile species.
We used individual-based models (IBMs) to predict the habitat distributions of apex predators, intraguild (IG) prey, and prey. We then used passive acoustic telemetry to test these predictions in a subtropical marine predator community consisting of eight elasmobranch (i.e., shark and ray) species in Bimini, The Bahamas.
IBMs predicted that prey and IG prey will preferentially select habitats based on safety over resources (food), with stronger selection for safe habitat by smaller prey. Elasmobranch space-use patterns matched these predictions. Species with predator-prey and asymmetrical IGP (between apex and small mesopredators) interactions sho..., Acoustic transmitters (InnovaSea, Canada; V16; battery life 2,435 to 3,650 days; transmission interval: 90–150 s) were surgically implanted into the body cavity of southern stingrays (Hypanus americanus), blacktip (C. limbatus), bull, Caribbean reef, great hammerhead, lemon (Negaprion brevirostris), nurse, and tiger sharks following capture, or attached externally to the base of the first dorsal fin via freediving for some great hammerheads, between April 2014–July 2018 (Guttridge et al., 2017; Smukall et al., 2022; van Zinnicq Bergmann et al., 2022). Bull, great hammerhead, and tiger sharks were considered apex predators (Cortés, 1999). Caribbean reef, adult lemon (males and females >175 and >185 cm PCL, respectively; Feldheim et al. 2014), and nurse sharks were classified as larger mesopredators, while southern stingrays, blacktip, and subadult lemon sharks were considered smaller mesopredators (Cortés, 1999). Sex and morphometrics (sharks: precaudal length, PCL; stingrays: curv..., , # Intraguild processes drive space-use patterns in a large-bodied marine predator community

**Abstract**

Interspecific interactions, including predator-prey, intraguild predation (IGP), and competition, may drive distribution and habitat use of predator communities. However, elucidating the relative importance of these interactions in shaping predator distributions is challenging, especially in marine communities comprising highly mobile species.

We used individual-based models (IBMs) to predict the habitat distributions of apex predators, intraguild (IG) prey, and prey. We then used passive acoustic telemetry to test these predictions in a subtropical marine predator community consisting of eight elasmobranch (i.e., shark and ray) species in Bimini, The Bahamas.

IBMs predicted that prey and IG prey will preferentially select habitats based on safety over resources (food), with stronger selection for safe habitat by smaller prey. Elasmobranch space-use patterns matched these predict...