Taxon name
Acanthopagrus berda
(Forsskål, 1775)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Acanthopagrus berda
(Forsskål, 1775)
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Fishes
Species authority
(Forsskål, 1775)
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
This species was previously confused with Acanthopagrus vagus in South Africa (Heemstra and Heemstra 2004, Iwatsuki and Heemstra 2010).
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
In the UAE, this coastal and estuarine species occurs only in the Sea of Oman. It is apparently naturally rare in UAE waters. The impact from the ongoing degradation of estuaries in the region may require further investigation. It is listed as Data Deficient.
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
In UAE waters, this species only occurs in the Sea of Oman. It is not likely to occur in the Arabian Gulf, and reports from there are probably misidentifications of Acanthopagrus randalli (Y. Iwatsuki pers. comm. 2013). Globally, it is restricted to the Indian Ocean where it occurs from South Africa, Madagascar to the Red Sea, India, Phuket and Malaysia (Iwatsuki and Heemstra 2010). This species occurs to 50 m depth.
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This is an estuarine-dependent species found mainly on sandy and muddy grounds in shallow coastal waters to 50 m depth (Fischer and Bianchi 1984, Garratt 1993). Juveniles inhabit protected bays and estuaries (Carpenter 2001). This species enters freshwaters in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Madagascar. It feeds on worms, molluscs, crustaceans, echinoderms and small fish (Fischer et al. 1990). The maximum length is 90 cm (Smith and Smith 1986). This species is a protandrous hermaphrodite (Allsop and West 2003).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
Fishing activity is not known to be driving population declines at this time, but habitat degradation, especially of estuaries, may be impacting this species.
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.
