Taxon name
Auxis rochei
(Risso, 1810)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Auxis rochei
(Risso, 1810)
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Fishes
Species authority
(Risso, 1810)
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
Before 1960, many researchers thought that there was only one world-wide species in the genus Auxis, which was recorded as Auxis thazard (Collette and Aaland, 1996).The species contains two subspecies; A. rochei rochei (Risso, 1810) worldwide except for the eastern tropical Pacific where it is replaced by A. r. eudorax Collette and Aadland, 1996.
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, open ocean species is not yet confirmed to occur in the UAE, but may occur on the Sea of Oman coast. If it does range into UAE waters (Sea of Oman only), its presence there is apparently marginal. There has been some confusion with Auxis thazard in some nearby areas where exploitation occurs (e.g., Iran), and this confusion may contribute to the lack of confirmed records in the UAE. 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), but may occur on the Sea of Oman coast, though records are not yet confirmed. Elsewhere, it is cosmopolitan in warm waters (Collette and Aadland 1996).
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, oceanodromous species that forms schools. It is an offshore predator feeding on whatever abundant resource is available with a preference for planktonic crustaceans, small cephalopods, and fish larvae (Mostarda et al. 2007). Its maximum fork length is 50 cm. Longevity is 5 years and maturity occurs around 2 years of age or about 35 cm fork length for both males and females, but this can vary by region (Muthiah 1985, Yesaki and Arce 1994, Niiya 2001a, b, Collette 2010). When applying an age at first reproduction of 5 years and longevity of 2 years, its estimated generation length is 3.5 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
Threats to this species in the UAE and neighboring area 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.
