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BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article
Front. Fish Sci.
Sec. Elasmobranch Science
Volume 3 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/frish.2025.1437507
This article is part of the Research Topic Women in Elasmobranch Science View all articles
First Record of Orcas (Orcinus orca) Preying on a Prickly shark (Echinorhinus cookei) in the Gulf of California: Insights into Shark Ecology
Provisionally accepted- 1 ORGCAS, La Paz, Mexico
- 2 Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
The first documented instance of predation on a prickly shark (Echinorhinus cookei) by orcas (Orcinus orca) in the shallow waters of the southwestern Gulf of California, particularly around Cerralvo Island, is presented. The observation was made possible through a combination of local ecological knowledge and citizen science efforts, demonstrating the value of community involvement in marine research. Both the vulnerability of prickly sharks to industrial fishing and the deep-water sharks limited ecological knowledge in the Gulf of California emphasize the significance of this sighting. The findings underscore the necessity for ongoing research and conservation efforts, highlighting the importance of the integration of the local ecological knowledge and citizen science to protect this species' habitat in the Gulf of California and beyond.
Keywords: Echinorhinus cookei, Orcinus orca predation, Ecology, Eastern Tropical Pacific, Local ecological knowledge, citizen science
Received: 23 May 2024; Accepted: 03 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Lara Lizardi, Gómez and Quintero. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Frida Lara Lizardi, ORGCAS, La Paz, Mexico
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