{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,12]],"date-time":"2026-01-12T22:05:22Z","timestamp":1768255522127,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":22,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,2]],"date-time":"2023-10-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1696204800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Biology"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The bowmouth guitarfish (Rhina ancylostomus) is among the most endangered of marine vertebrates, and evidence of severe declines and localized extinctions has been reported. Yet its life history and ecology suffer from a lack of scientific attention due to the scarcity and unpredictable movements of the species. By collecting opportunistic records from 2015 to 2023 during diving activities, this study describes for the first time the occurrence of a predictable aggregation of R. ancylostomus in the Gulf of Tadjoura (Djibouti). These data provide a key record of this species in the area, whose presence is strongly associated with sandy seabeds and corals at approximately 35 m depth. Based on the opportunistic sightings of R. ancylostomus during diving activity, Ras Eiro and Ras Korali appear to be the currently known core habitats for this species and may serve as breeding or feeding grounds. Overall, our data show that the Gulf of Tadjoura is a globally important conservation hotspot, and therefore its protection should be prioritized.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/biology12101302","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,2]],"date-time":"2023-10-02T04:53:36Z","timestamp":1696222416000},"page":"1302","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Annual Recurrence of the Critically Endangered Bowmouth Guitarfish (Rhina ancylostomus) in Djibouti Waters"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Ginevra","family":"Boldrocchi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Human Sciences, Innovation and Territory, University of Insubria, Via Valleggio 11, 22100 Como, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"David","family":"Robinson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sundive Research, Byron Shire, NSW 2481, Australia"},{"name":"Marine Megafauna Foundation, West Palm Beach, FL 33411, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Simone","family":"Caprodossi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Marine Megafauna Foundation, West Palm Beach, FL 33411, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Emilio","family":"Mancuso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Verdeacqua\u2014Istituto per gli Studi sul Mare, Via Mac Mahon 33, 20155 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Moussa","family":"Omar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre d\u2019Etude et de Recherche de Djibouti, Route de L\u2019a\u00e9roport, Djibouti P.O. Box B.P.486, Djibouti"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9234-1464","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jennifer V.","family":"Schmidt","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Shark Research Institute, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Last, P., Naylor, G., S\u00e9ret, B., White, W., de Carvalho, M., and Stehmann, M. (2016). Rays of the World, CSIRO Publishing.","DOI":"10.1071\/9780643109148"},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"Kyne, P.M., Rigby, C.L., and Jabado, R.W. (2023, June 04). Rhina Ancylostoma. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: E.T41848A124421912. 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Ecol."}],"container-title":["Biology"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2079-7737\/12\/10\/1302\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T21:04:07Z","timestamp":1760130247000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2079-7737\/12\/10\/1302"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,2]]},"references-count":22,"journal-issue":{"issue":"10","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,10]]}},"alternative-id":["biology12101302"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/biology12101302","relation":{},"ISSN":["2079-7737"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2079-7737","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,2]]}}}