Taxon name
Scomberomorus guttatus
(Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Scomberomorus guttatus
(Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Fishes
Species authority
(Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
A revision of Scomberomorus was conducted by Collette and Russo (1985).
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 pelagic, coastal species occurs throughout UAE waters. It is taken in the highly-valued fishery that targets Scomberomorus commerson throughout the Arabian Gulf and Sea of Oman. It is easily confused with S. commerson, and as a result, species-specific data are not available. The population of S. commerson has declined by 50-70% over the past 30 years, and remains overexploited. In addition, fishing effort is increasing. Considering the uncertainty on its population status, and potential major threat from overfishing, it is listed as Data Deficient in the UAE. It is recommended to improve fisheries data collection for this species.
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, itis widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific.
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This is a pelagic migratory fish inhabiting coastal waters to 200 m depth. It sometimes enters turbid estuarine waters, and is usually found in small schools. It feeds mainly on small schooling fishes (especially sardines and anchovies), squids and crustaceans. Adults can reach a maximum fork length of 76 cm. Maturity occurs at around 48-“52 cm total length or 1-“2 years in southern India, and about 40 cm in Thailand (Krishnarnoorthy 1958). This species may live to 16 years of age (Devaraj 1977). When applying an age at first reproduction of 2 years and longevity of 16 years, its estimated generation length is 9 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 in the UAE.
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.
