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

Taxa
Pomadasys kaakan | (Cuvier, 1830)
Publication
UAE National Red List of Marine Species: Reef-building corals, cartilaginous fishes and select bony fishes
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
Taxonomic Notes
Pomadasys kaakan may be confused with P. argenteus in the literature.
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
This species occurs throughout UAE waters. Globally, it is widespread in the Indo-West Pacific (Hata et al. 2015). Its depth range is 0-75 metres (Smith and McKay 1986).
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
Yes
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This speciesinhabits coastal rocky and coral reefs (Valinassab et al. 2011). Juveniles also occur in turbid inshore waters and estuaries, including mangrove habitats over sand and mud bottoms (Van der Elst 1993). Its maximum total length is 80 cm, but occurs more commonly to 45 cm (McKay 2001). Its maximum age is 36 years (Al-Husaini et al. 2001). Itspawns from February to July (Al-Husaini et al. 2001) and forms shoals near river mouths during the winter.
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Data deficient
Assessment status abreviation
DD
Assessment rationale/justification
This inshore, reef-associated species occurs throughout UAE waters, but is naturally uncommon to rare on the Arabian Gulf coast. It is easily confused with Pomadasys argenteus. Population data from the UAE are limited. Anecdotal information indicates some level of decline may have occurred on the eastern coast. It is heavily exploited in parts of the Arabian Gulf and Sea of Oman, and declines have occurred in at least Kuwait and Iran, although it remains abundant off Iran. The status of population(s) outside the UAE are not well-understood, though declines have been reported from Kuwait and Iran. Estuarine degradation may also impact this species. Based on the uncertainty regarding the population trend of this exploited species, it is listed as Data Deficient in UAE waters. Improvements in fisheries monitoring are needed.
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 + Regional Guidelines v4.0
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
Fishing is causing declines in some areas of the Arabian Gulf and Sea of Oman, and may represent a major threat. It can also be impacted by estuarine degradation, a habitat that juveniles are dependent on, especially where freshwater flow has been altered (e.g., Kuwait; Al-Husaini et al. 2015). Corals in the UAE and Arabian Gulf have severely declined due to the increasing frequency of mass bleaching events caused by rising water temperatures, which is a consequence of climate change, as well as pervasive coastal development (Riegl et al. 2018, Burt et al. 2019).
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Pomadasys kaakan Animalia Chordata Actinopterygii Perciformes Haemulidae Pomadasys