Taxon name
Pomadasys kaakan
(Cuvier, 1830)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Pomadasys kaakan
(Cuvier, 1830)
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Fishes
Species authority
(Cuvier, 1830)
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
Pomadasys kaakan may be confused with P. argenteus in the literature.
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 inshore, reef-associated species occurs throughout UAE waters, but is naturally uncommon to rare on the Arabian Gulf coast. It is easily confused with Pomadasys argenteus. Population data from the UAE are limited. Anecdotal information indicates some level of decline may have occurred on the eastern coast. It is heavily exploited in parts of the Arabian Gulf and Sea of Oman, and declines have occurred in at least Kuwait and Iran, although it remains abundant off Iran. The status of population(s) outside the UAE are not well-understood, though declines have been reported from Kuwait and Iran. Estuarine degradation may also impact this species. Based on the uncertainty regarding the population trend of this exploited species, it is listed as Data Deficient in UAE waters. Improvements in fisheries monitoring are needed.
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, it is widespread in the Indo-West Pacific (Hata et al. 2015). Its depth range is 0-75 metres (Smith and McKay 1986).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This speciesinhabits coastal rocky and coral reefs (Valinassab et al. 2011). Juveniles also occur in turbid inshore waters and estuaries, including mangrove habitats over sand and mud bottoms (Van der Elst 1993). Its maximum total length is 80 cm, but occurs more commonly to 45 cm (McKay 2001). Its maximum age is 36 years (Al-Husaini et al. 2001). Itspawns from February to July (Al-Husaini et al. 2001) and forms shoals near river mouths during the winter.
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
Fishing is causing declines in some areas of the Arabian Gulf and Sea of Oman, and may represent a major threat. It can also be impacted by estuarine degradation, a habitat that juveniles are dependent on, especially where freshwater flow has been altered (e.g., Kuwait; Al-Husaini et al. 2015). Corals in the UAE and Arabian Gulf have severely declined due to the increasing frequency of mass bleaching events caused by rising water temperatures, which is a consequence of climate change, as well as pervasive coastal development (Riegl et al. 2018, Burt et al. 2019).
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.
