Isurus paucus | UAE National Red List of Marine Species: Reef-building corals, cartilaginous fishes and select bony fishes

Taxa
Isurus paucus | Guitart, 1966
Location
Countries in Assessment
United Arab Emirates
Country ISO code(s)
ARE
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Off
Scope (Assessment)
National
Taxon
Taxonomic Group
Vertebrates
Taxonomic Group Level 2
Fishes
Assessed taxon level
Species
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
The Longfin Mako occurs in UAE waters on the Sea of Oman coast. It is excluded from the Arabian Gulf (Golani and Bogorodsky 2010). Globally, it is likely circumglobal in tropical and warm temperate waters. However, records are sporadic and the complete distribution remains unclear in part due to confusion with the more common Shortfin Mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) (Compagno 2001).
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
Yes
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
The Longfin Mako is a poorly-known epipelagic, tropical and warm-temperate shark, and its full depth range is unknown (Compagno 2001). It attains a maximum size of at least 427 cm total length (TL). Both males and females have been reported to mature at >245 cm TL with the smallest mature male observed at 225 cm TL (Varghese et al. 2017). It is aplacental viviparous with oophagy and uterine cannibalism, and a pregnant female may have 2 to 8 embryos per litter. Size at birth is recorded at 97 to 120 cm TL (Compagno 2001). It has been suggested that females may approach land to pup (Compagno 2001). The generation length is suspected to be around 25 years, based on that of the Shortfin Mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) (Natanson et al. 2006).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Near Threatened
Assessment status abreviation
NT
Assessment status criteria
A2d
Assessment rationale/justification
In UAE waters, the Longfin Mako occurs only in offshore waters of the Sea of Oman. Little is known on the population of this species in UAE waters. It is caught incidentally in pelagic longline fisheries, but comprises much lower proportions of the catch than the Shortfin Mako (Isurus oxyrinchus). Most catches of this species are inadequately recorded and likely underestimated. Its apparent rarity, large size, low fecundity and continued occurrence as bycatch in fisheries is concerning. It is apparently highly migratory, and has slow life history characteristics including low fecundity and a low annual rate of population increase. Considering this, the species has a low capacity to recover from even moderate levels of exploitation. It is especially susceptible to exploitation (target and bycatch) in many largely unregulated gill net, longline and trawl fisheries that operate within its range outside and surrounding UAE waters. Some management measures are now in place in the Arabian Sea region, although domestic fisheries are likely to continue. Though data specifically from the UAE are not available, individuals in the UAE are a component of a larger, interconnected and migratory population that occurs broadly in the north-western Indian Ocean. It is inferred that declines reported in the Arabian Sea region are representative of its status in the UAE. Based on recorded levels of exploitation, it is suspected to have declined by 20-30% over the past three generation lengths, or about 75 years. It is listed as Near Threatened, nearly meeting the thresholds for Vulnerable A2d.
About the assessment
Assessment year
2019
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Affliation of assessor(s)/contributors/reviewers listed on assessment
Government
IGO
Assessor affiliation specific
Government|IGO
Criteria system
Criteria system specifics
IUCN v3.1
Criteria system used
IUCN
Criteria Citation
IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1, Second edition. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. iv + 32pp pp. And IUCN. 2012. Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional and National Levels: Version 4.0. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iii + 41pp.
Endemism
Endemic to region
Not_assigned
Endemism Notes
Is an endemic?: Not_assigned
Conservation
Threats listed in assessment
In the UAE, sharks have been impacted by targeted commercial fisheries until 2014 when a ban on export of sharks was imposed (Ministry of Climate Change and Environment). Sharks continue to be impacted by artisanal and bycatch fisheries (Annual Fisheries Statistical Report for Abu Dhabi Emirate 2001-2018), though catch data are not species-specific. This species is impacted by bycatch fisheries that are active elsewhere in its range.
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Isurus paucus Animalia Chordata Chondrichthyes Lamniformes Lamnidae Isurus