A refuge can be any space that keeps an organism safe from danger. Prey usually seek protection in the closest refuge available to minimize cost while maximizing survival. Aerial drone footage of blacktip sharks, Carcharhinus limbatus, along the coast of southeast Florida, USA, shows adult blacktips fleeing to the shallow water adjacent to the beach when confronted with or chased by a predatory great hammerhead shark, Sphyrna mokarran. To authors' knowledge, this is the first evidence of adult C. limbatus using shallow waters as a refuge.
Keywords: Carcharhinidae; Sphyrnidae; elasmobranch; predation; refuge; shallow water.
© 2020 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.