Taxon name
Pastinachus ater
(Macleay, 1883)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Pastinachus ater
(Macleay, 1883)
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Fishes
Species authority
(Macleay, 1883)
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
Recently, molecular data confirmed that the single, widespread Indo-“Pacific species, Pastinachus sephen consists of two species, the widespread P. ater and a more restricted P. sephen (Last et al. 2016a).
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
Near Threatened
Qualifying criteria (if given)
A2cd
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
The Broad Cowtail Ray occurs throughout UAE coastal waters. The exact distribution is uncertain due to confusion amongst Pastinachus species and recent taxonomic changes. This species is not targeted or valued in markets of the UAE, trawling has been banned there since 1980 and recent surveys have detected it in the area. Cowtail rays are regularly discarded in the Arabian Gulf and Sea of Oman. A large part of the species' regional distribution (namely, India and Pakistan) is under extremely intense and increasing demersal fishing pressure. It is not known how individuals occupying the UAE are connected with the broader population of the Arabian Seas region, and there is no information available to suggest that its population status differs in the UAE as compared to other parts of its range in the region. Given the threats faced by this species in other parts of the Arabian Seas region, and ongoing threats from discarding and habitat loss in the UAE, it is inferred that declines reported in the Arabian Seas are representative of the status in the UAE. Based on recorded levels of exploitation and decline in habitat quality, it is suspected to have declined by 20-30% over the past three generation lengths, or about 60 years. It is listed as Near Threatened, nearly meeting the thresholds for Vulnerable A2cd.
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
The Broad Cowtail Ray occurs throughout UAE waters. Globally, it is widespread in the Indo-West Pacific, although its exact distribution is uncertain due to confusion amongst Pastinachus species and recent taxonomic changes within the genus.
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
The Broad Cowtail Ray is benthic in coastal habitats. Maximum size and biology is poorly known due to confusion amongst other cowtail rays. Reaches ~200 cm disc width (Last et al. 2016). Generation length is estimated at 20 years based on age data from Maculabatis astra (Jacobsen 2007).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
Information pertaining to threats specific to the UAE are unavailable. This species is impacted by bycatch fisheries that are active elsewhere in its range. Marine habitats in the Gulf are experiencing high levels of disturbance and quickly deteriorating due to major impacts from development activities (including dredging and reclamation), desalination plants, industrial activities, habitat destruction through the removal of shallow productive areas and major shipping lanes (Sheppard et al. 2010).
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.
