Taxon name
Epinephelus polylepis
Randall & Heemstra, 1991
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Epinephelus polylepis
Randall & Heemstra, 1991
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Fishes
Species authority
Randall & Heemstra, 1991
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
Prior to this species' formal description in 1991, it was identified as Epinephelus chlorostigma, particularly in India.
Location and scope
Specific locality or subnational name or regional name
United Arab Emirates (the)
Scope (of the Assessment)
National
Countries included within the scope of the assessment
United Arab Emirates (the)
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Not_assigned
Conservation Status
Assessed as
Data deficient
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
This reef-associated species occurs throughout UAE waters. In the UAE, it is infrequently observed in markets, and is not recorded in fisheries statistics. It is heavily exploited in much of its range, and fishing pressure has been increasing and is expected to continue increasing. The relatively poor understanding of its' population status is in part due to it being historically misidentified as Epinephelus chlorostigma until its formal description in 1991 (only about 25 years ago). There are anecdotal reports of declining catch per unit effort in Oman, but landings quantified in the Arabian Gulf over the past 15 years have not declined, possibly due to increases in effort. The status of population(s) outside the UAE are not well-understood, though it is also taken by fisheries elsewhere. 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.
Assessment details
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Criteria system used
IUCN
Reference for methods given
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.
Further information
Endemism (according to assessment)
Endemic to region
Not assigned
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
This species occurs throughout UAE waters. Globally, it is restricted to the northwest Indian Ocean where it occurs from the northern Gulf of Aden (Yemen and Djibouti) to the Arabian Gulf to southwestern India (Randall and Heemstra 1991, M. Samoilys pers. comm. 2016). It is not known to occur in the Maldives (Anderson pers. comm. 2007). Its depth range is 10-155 metres.
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This species occurs on rock and boulder slopes and also in areas with high coral cover (M. Samoilys pers. comm. 2016). Off southern Oman and eastern Yemen, it is frequently observed on coral reefs between 10 to 15 m depth (J. Kemp pers. comm. 2007). Off Muscat, Oman its preferred habitat is small rocky outcrops at 70-155 m depth. It has also been collected from trawls operating between 33-100 m depth on sandy bottoms (Randall and Heemstra 1991). This species may be a diandric protogynous hermaphrodite (J. McIlwain pers. comm. 2007), but this is not yet confirmed. Peak spawning in Oman occurs from August to October and may also extend into June-July (J. McIlwain pers. comm. 2007). Maximum total length is 120 cm (Bagley et al. 2009). In Oman, it has been aged to 40 years (J. McIlwain unpublished data). Age at first maturity is likely about 3-4 years (H. Choat pers. comm. 2007). When applying an age at first reproduction of 3-4 years and longevity of 40 years, its estimated generation length is 21-22 years based on the following equation recommended by the IUCN Red List methods: Age at first reproduction + (Age at last reproduction -“ age at first reproduction)/2.
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
Overfishing is a potential major threat to this species, although declines have not yet been quantified and only anecdotal reports of declining catch per unit effort are known. Given that fishing effort has been increasing in the fisheries that take this species throughout its range, there is concern that declines are either occurring or will occur. 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).
Publication
Ralph, G.M., Stump, E., Linardich, C., Bullock, R.W., Carpenter, K.E., Allen D.J., Hilton-Taylor, C., Al Mheiri, R., and Alshamsi, O. 2021. UAE National Red List of Marine Species: Reef-building corals, cartilaginous fishes and select bony fishes. 2021. Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
