Reef manta ray social dynamics depend on individual differences in behaviour

Knowledge of the drivers of fine-scale spatial ecology in wide-ranging marine species is vital to un-derstand population structuring and conserve threatened species. Movements and habitat use are likely to be strongly influenced by social relationships between individuals, and social units within animal populations may be subject to distinct selective pressures. Here we used passive acoustic telemetry and network-based analyses to investigate the site visit patterns and social affiliations of reef manta rays, Mobula alfredi, in Raja Ampat, West Papua. Acoustic transmitters were externally deployed on 27 rays that were tracked for up to 110 days. Visit profiles were retrieved from nine acoustic receivers positioned in clusters at known aggregation sites, enabling analysis of movement behaviour and social processes at various spatial scales. We utilized Bayesian inference and a double permutation method to address issues in sampling and hypothesis testing on social networks constructed from automated telemetry data. We found that social affiliations were assorted into spatially defined communities which remained stable over several weeks to months, although many affiliations were short lived. Interindividual variability in detection profiles was correlated with social network metrics. Individuals with high levels of site attachment had stronger social affiliations, while individuals that regularly attended different receiver clusters were more central to the overall social network. These results suggest that reef manta ray movements, habitat preferences and social relationships should be understood as linked behavioural processes for which variability between individuals and groups may drive emergent population struc-ture. Future research and local management of manta rays will likely benefit from identifying how, where and why social gatherings occur.(c) 2022 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study investigated the site visit patterns and social affiliations of reef manta rays using passive acoustic telemetry and network-based analyses. The results revealed that social affiliations were classified into stable spatial communities and interindividual variability in detection profiles was correlated with social network metrics. These findings highlight the interconnectedness of movement, habitat preferences, and social relationships in reef manta rays.