Taxon name
Epinephelus multinotatus
(Peters, 1876)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Epinephelus multinotatus
(Peters, 1876)
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Fishes
Species authority
(Peters, 1876)
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 reef-associated species occurs throughout UAE waters. It is harvested in the Arabian Gulf and Sea of Oman, and landings, while fluctuating, show a modest downward trend off Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and possibly Oman. In the UAE, it is infrequently observed in markets, and is not recorded in fisheries statistics. The status of population(s) outside the UAE are not well-understood, though it is also taken by fisheries elsewhere, and some level of localised declines have been noted. 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 has a disjunct distribution in the Indian Ocean with one subpopulation occurring in the western part from Mozambique and Madagascar to the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Gulf, Sea of Oman and the Maldives and Chagos Archipelago, and the second subpopulation occurring in the east from northwestern Australia to Indonesia (Aru, Kei, and Tanimbar Islands). Its depth range is 10-110 metres (Allen and Erdmann 2012).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This species inhabits coral and rocky reef, including drop-offs and banks (Randall 1995, Stephenson et al. 2001, J. Robinson pers. comm. 2007). Juveniles can be more common on coral reefs at least in the Gulf, while adults are often found in deeper waters around sandy or rocky substrates (Carpenter et al. 1997a). In general, younger individuals are found in the shallower portion of its range while adults occur deeper (Allen and Erdmann 2012). Spawning aggregations have been reported during peak reproductive months (Wheeler and Ommanney 1953, Robinson et al. 2004), and non-aggregating spawning likely occurs at other times during the year (J. Robinson pers. comm. 2007). Its maximum total length is 90 cm (Allen and Erdmann 2012) and its maximum age is 30 years (Grandcourt 2005). In Australia, females mature at about 41 cm and the species has been aged to at least 22 years (Bray 2016).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
Overfishing is a threat to this species in parts of its range(Craig et al. 2011, Chabanet et al. 2016). Reef degradation may also negatively impact this species (Pistorius and Taylor 2009). 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.
