The Starry smooth-hound Mustelus asterias is widely distributed in the Northeast Atlantic, yet under increasing fishing pressure. To lay the grounds for future species management plans, information on its complex annual migration and residency behaviour is needed. Fish movement is commonly studied with electronic tags, one novel technology being the Acoustic Data Storage Tag (ADST). It can be detected by acoustic receivers and additionally logs temperature and water depth in predefined intervals. This study characterises the migration and residency of M. asterias in the North Sea regarding season and sex. 30 M. asterias were equipped with ADST in the Scheldt estuary in 2018 and 2019. Acoustic detections of 18 individuals in the Western Scheldt estuary between July 2018 and July 2020 suggest seasonal presence of females just outside of the Western Scheldt between April and November. Spectral analysis of the depth logs of two individuals logging for over a year indicates feeding behaviour of the male throughout most of the year. The female shark presumably rests on the seafloor during summer and feeds in a biweekly rhythm during winter. This study presents the first detailed insights into vertical movement behaviour differences between seasons and individuals of M. asterias.
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