Taxon name
Scoliodon laticaudus
Müller & Henle, 1838
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Scoliodon laticaudus
Müller & Henle, 1838
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Fishes
Species authority
Müller & Henle, 1838
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
The genus Scoliodon, represented by S. laticaudus, was previously considered monotypic but now consists of three species with S. macrorhynchus resurrected from the junior synonym of S. laticaudus (White et al. 2010).
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
The Spadenose Shark occurs in UAE waters on the Sea of Oman, but is very poorly known there. It is reported as a dominant species in landings in Pakistan and India and is particularly susceptible to inshore fisheries. Due to its limited fecundity, concern exists that ongoing increases in catches will lead to recruitment overfishing. Intensive and increasing fishing means that, like many other species, populations have likely declined. Little is known on the population of this species in UAE waters and given that its distribution there remains uncertain, 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
The Spadenose Shark occurs in UAE waters on the Sea of Oman coast, and potentially the Arabian Gulf coast. Its presence in the Arabian Gulf is unclear, but historic records suggest it may occur there (Wright et al. 1990). Extensive market and fishery surveys have failed to identify it there (Moore et al. 2012, Jabado et al. 2015). Globally, it is widespread in the Indo-West Pacific (Ebert et al. 2013).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
The Spadenose Shark is common in coastal and estuarine waters, preferring muddy and sandy substrates at depths up to 80 m. It attains a maximum size of 91 cm total length (TL) and males mature at 24-36 cm TL and females at 33-35.8 cm TL (Devadoss 1979, Compagno et al. 2005, Sen et al. 2018). Breeding occurs throughout the year (Devadoss 1979) and females probably mate at least once each year. This shark is placentally viviparous, with arguably the most advanced reproductive mode of the elasmobranchs. Litter sizes range from 6-20, with a mean of 13 (Devadoss 1979). Young are born throughout the year, with size at birth around 12-15 cm TL, after a gestation period of five or six months (Compagno et al. 2005). Age and growth data are limited, but the generation length is estimated at about 3.75 years (Nair 1976, Compagno et al. 2005).
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
Information pertaining to threats specific to the UAE are unavailable. This species is impacted by target (for fins and their valuable meat) and bycatch fisheries that are active elsewhere in its range. Marine habitats in the region have experienced high levels of disturbance and are quickly deteriorating due to major impacts from development activities (Sheppard <em style=""font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2; text-align:start;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px"">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.
