Asymbolus analis

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	CHONDRICHTHYES	CARCHARHINIFORMES	SCYLIORHINIDAE

Scientific Name:

Asymbolus analis

Species Authority:

(Ogilby, 1885)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Australian Spotted Catshark, Grey Spotted Catshark, Spotted Dogfish

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Data Deficient ver 3.1
Year Published:	2003
Assessor/s:	Kyne, P.M. & Bennett, M.B. (SSG Australia & Oceania Regional Workshop, March 2003)
Reviewer/s:	Fowler, S. & Cavanagh, R.D. (Shark Red List Authority)
Justification: Asymbolus analis is an uncommon, little-known catshark endemic to southeastern Australian. It is demersal on the continental shelf, and very little is known of its biology. It is not targeted commercially, but captured as bycatch in demersal trawl fisheries, where it may be retained in small quantities. Given its endemism and the fact that it is uncommon, bycatch levels need to be monitored and future research directed at its life history.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Asymbolus analis is endemic to the western Pacific in temperate to subtropical waters off eastern Australia, ranging from southeastern Queensland to Lakes Entrance, Victoria, including waters of New South Wales (Kyne et al. in prep, Alastair Graham, pers. comm).
Countries:	Native: Australia (New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria)
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:	Native: Indian Ocean – eastern; Pacific – western central; Pacific – southwest
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	There is no available information on subpopulations, however, a number are likely to exist.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Asymbolus analis is demersal on the continental shelf and is reported in depths of 40 to 159 m (Last and Stevens 1994, Kyne et al. in prep). It reaches at least 60 cm total length (TL) with the smallest mature male reported at 45.8 cm TL, and the smallest mature female 45.5 cm TL (Kyne et al. in prep). Little is known of the biology of the species. Observed stomach contents include fish, cephalopods and crustaceans (pers. obs). The species is oviparous with one functional ovary. Mature females with large ripe ovarian ova have been observed during the months of March, September and October (Kyne et al. in prep.), suggesting that the species may not have a well-defined reproductive season, similar to the situation with other scyliorhinid sharks. There is no available information on age and growth, natural mortality or behavioural ecology.
Systems:	Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

Asymbolus analis is demersal on the continental shelf and is reported in depths of 40 to 159 m (Last and Stevens 1994, Kyne et al. in prep). It reaches at least 60 cm total length (TL) with the smallest mature male reported at 45.8 cm TL, and the smallest mature female 45.5 cm TL (Kyne et al. in prep). Little is known of the biology of the species. Observed stomach contents include fish, cephalopods and crustaceans (pers. obs). The species is oviparous with one functional ovary. Mature females with large ripe ovarian ova have been observed during the months of March, September and October (Kyne et al. in prep.), suggesting that the species may not have a well-defined reproductive season, similar to the situation with other scyliorhinid sharks. There is no available information on age and growth, natural mortality or behavioural ecology.

Systems:

Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Asymbolus analis is considered to be less common than other closely related Asymbolus species (Last and Stevens 1994). The species is not targeted commercially, however it is captured as bycatch in demersal trawl fisheries (Last and Stevens 1994). It is reported to be retained in the South East Trawl Fishery (SETF), which operates in southern Australian waters from New South Wales to South Australia, although the quantity is unknown (Rose and SAG 2001). It is an uncommon component of the bycatch of the deepwater component of the eastern king prawn sector of the Queensland East Coast Trawl Fishery (Kyne, unpublished data). It is also likely to occur as bycatch in the New South Wales Ocean Prawn Trawl Fishery.

Major Threat(s):

Asymbolus analis is considered to be less common than other closely related Asymbolus species (Last and Stevens 1994). The species is not targeted commercially, however it is captured as bycatch in demersal trawl fisheries (Last and Stevens 1994). It is reported to be retained in the South East Trawl Fishery (SETF), which operates in southern Australian waters from New South Wales to South Australia, although the quantity is unknown (Rose and SAG 2001). It is an uncommon component of the bycatch of the deepwater component of the eastern king prawn sector of the Queensland East Coast Trawl Fishery (Kyne, unpublished data). It is also likely to occur as bycatch in the New South Wales Ocean Prawn Trawl Fishery.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	There are currently no management measures in place for this species. The level of bycatch in fisheries needs to be assessed, as does the level of retention in the SETF.

Conservation Actions:

There are currently no management measures in place for this species. The level of bycatch in fisheries needs to be assessed, as does the level of retention in the SETF.

Bibliography [top]

	IUCN. 2003. 2003 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 18 November 2003. IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group. Specialist Group website. Available at: http://www.iucnssg.org/. Kyne, P.M., Bennett, M.B. and Johnson, J.W. In prep. New biogeographical information on Queensland chondrichthyans. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum Last, P.R. and Stevens, J.D. 1994. Sharks and Rays of Australia. CSIRO, Australia. Rose, C. and Shark Advisory Group (SAG). 2001. Australian Shark Assessment Report. Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry ? Australia, Canberra.

IUCN. 2003. 2003 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 18 November 2003.

IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group. Specialist Group website. Available at: http://www.iucnssg.org/.

Kyne, P.M., Bennett, M.B. and Johnson, J.W. In prep. New biogeographical information on Queensland chondrichthyans. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum

Last, P.R. and Stevens, J.D. 1994. Sharks and Rays of Australia. CSIRO, Australia.

Rose, C. and Shark Advisory Group (SAG). 2001. Australian Shark Assessment Report. Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry ? Australia, Canberra.

Citation:	Kyne, P.M. & Bennett, M.B. 2003. Asymbolus analis. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 May 2012.
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