How hot is too hot? Thermal tolerance, performance, and preference in juvenile mangrove whiprays, Urogymnus granulatus

Mangrove habitats can serve as nursery areas for sharks and rays. Such environments can be thermally dynamic and extreme; yet, the physiological and behavioural mechanisms sharks and rays use to exploit such habitats are understudied. This study aimed to define the thermal niche of juvenile mangrove whiprays, Urogymnus granulatus. First, temperature tolerance limits were determined via the critical thermal maximum (CT_Max) and minimum (CT_Min) of mangrove whiprays at summer acclimation temperatures (28 °C), which were 17.5 °C and 39.9 °C, respectively. Then, maximum and routine oxygen uptake rates (ṀO_2max and ṀO_2routine, respectively), post-exercise oxygen debt, and recovery were estimated at current (28 °C) and heatwave (32 °C) temperatures, revealing moderate temperature sensitivities (i.e., Q₁₀) of 2.4 (ṀO_2max) and 1.6 (ṀO_2routine), but opposing effects on post-exercise oxygen uptake. Finally, body temperatures (T_b) of mangrove whiprays were recorded using external temperature loggers, and environmental temperatures (T_e) were recorded using stationary temperature loggers moored in three habitat zones (mangrove, reef flat, and reef crest). As expected, environmental temperatures varied between sites depending on depth. Individual mangrove whiprays presented significantly lower T_b relative to T_e during the hottest times of the day. Electivity analysis showed tagged individuals selected temperatures from 24.0 to 37.0 °C in habitats that ranged from 21.1 to 43.5 °C. These data demonstrate that mangrove whiprays employ thermotaxic behaviours and a thermally insensitive aerobic metabolism to thrive in thermally dynamic and extreme habitats. Tropical nursery areas may, therefore, offer important thermal refugia for young rays. However, these tropical nursery areas could become threatened by mangrove and coral habitat loss, and climate change.