Predicting the spatial distribution of the blue-spotted maskray Neotrygon kuhlii (Myliobatiformes, Dasyatidae) on the Australian North and Northwest Shelf comparing two different methods of habitat modeling

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2013

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Knowledge about distribution and habitat requirements of species is important for analyzing their role in marine ecosystems or establishing sanctuaries. However, knowledge is scarce especially in many chondrichthyan species. In this study, the spatial distribution of the stingray Neotrygon kuhlii on the Australian North and Northwest Shelf was predicted model-based for the first time. Predictions based on two different types of habitat suitability models, logistic regression and maximum entropy modeling. Catch data of N. kuhlii from Australian trawl surveys combined with randomly selected pseudo-absences were used for modeling together with data sets of several environmental variables. Both modeling methods yielded plausible and validated habitat suitability models containing water depth and salinity as significant independent variables. The model-based predictions of the probability of occurrence of N. kuhlii were similar for both methods and thus emphasized the goodness of the models. Following the predictions, N. kuhlii has its highest probability of occurrence in about 60 m water depth and at a salinity of about 35 PSU. The results indicate that both modeling methods are powerful tools to predict spatial distribution and habitat quality for marine fish species. Therefore, they are suitable for detecting possible distribution in areas with only few field records. © 2013 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.

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