Taxon name
Iago omanensis
(Norman, 1939)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Iago omanensis
(Norman, 1939)
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Fishes
Species authority
(Norman, 1939)
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
The Bay of Bengal population may represent a separate dwarf Iago omanensis-like species (Fernando et al. 2019, Psomadakis et al. 2019).
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
Least Concern
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
In UAE waters, the Bigeye Houndshark occurs only in deeper waters of the Sea of Oman. This species is not targeted or valued in markets of the UAE and trawling has been banned there since 1980. It is taken by gill net or trawl fisheries in Oman, Pakistan and India and utilized fresh for human consumption. It appears to be quite common in some areas of its range, such as Oman and northwestern India, but data specific to its status in the UAE are not available at this time. There is some evidence for declines in the Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea) and India, especially where deep sea trawl fisheries have been recently expanding. There are no data to suggest that the part of the population that occupies the UAE is under any greater threat than in any other part of its range and that its status in the Arabian Seas region should be representative of its status in the UAE. Given its probable extensive refuge in deep waters, it is listed as Least Concern.
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
The Bigeye Houndshark occurs in UAE waters on the Sea of Oman coast. It is excluded from the Arabian Gulf. Its global range is poorly-defined due to taxonomic issues, but as presently known, it occurs throughout the Arabian Sea region with the exception of the Gulf, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka. There may be several species in India that remain to be described (K.K. Bineesh pers. comm. 07/02/2017). Further research is required, but the Bigeye Houndshark may be restricted to the western parts of the Arabian Sea region.
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
The Bigeye Houndshark is most commonly found on continental shelves and slopes at depths from 110-1,000 m and possibly as deep as 2,195 m in the Red Sea. In the Gulf of Aqaba, males apparently inhabit deeper waters, whereas females prefer shallower waters (300 m) (Baranes 2005). The species attains a maximum size of 84 cm total length (TL) (Henderson and Reeve 2014) with females reaching maturity at ~40 cm TL and males at 31-32 cm TL. Reproduction is viviparous with yolk-sac placenta and gestation lasts for 10-12 months with two to six pups are produced per litter (Baranes 2007). Size at birth is at ~14 cm TL (Baranes 2007, Henderson and Reeve 2014). Preliminary ageing data indicates males live to 7 years and females to 9 years (Henderson et al. 2004) suggesting a generation length of 5.5 years.
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
Threat information specific to this species in the UAE is unavailable. 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.
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.
