Taxon name
Scomber australasicus
Cuvier, 1832
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Scomber australasicus
Cuvier, 1832
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Fishes
Species authority
Cuvier, 1832
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
The population in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea formerly considered to be Scomber japonicus were re-identified as Scomber australasicus (Baker and Collette 1998). This population was described as a separate species, Scomber indicus by Abdussamad et al. 2016 which is considered as a subspecies here.
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 species is not yet confirmed to occur in UAE waters, but may occur on the Sea of Oman coast. Little is known on its distribution, population, ecology and potential threats in the UAE; therefore, 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 does not occur in the Arabian Gulf (B. Collette pers. comm. 2013) and has not yet been confirmed from the Sea of Oman coast, but possibly occurs there. Elsewhere, it occurs in the Red Sea and widely in the western Pacific. It has been confused with Scomber japonicus.
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This pelagic species occurs in coastal and oceanic waters to 300 m depth (May and Maxwell 1986, Collette 1995). It forms schools by size, and schools may include Jack Mackerels and Pacific Sardines. It is a plankton feeder, filtering copepods and other crustaceans, but adults also feed on small fishes and squids. The maximum fork length is 40 cm. In Australia, age at first maturity is 2 years and longevity is 8 years (Stevens et al. 1984). However, this species is larger and longer lived in New Zealand, where longevity has been estimated to be as high as 24 years (Morrison et al. 2001) and length at first maturity is 28 cm and approximately 3 years (Manning et al. 2007). In Japan, the age at first maturity is 1 year and longevity is approximately 6 years (Uozumi pers. comm. 2009). Generation length in Japan, is therefore estimated to be 2-“3 years, but may be higher in Australia and New Zealand.
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
Threats are poorly understood.
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.
