Asymbolus rubiginosus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	CHONDRICHTHYES	CARCHARHINIFORMES	SCYLIORHINIDAE

Scientific Name:

Asymbolus rubiginosus

Species Authority:

Last, Gomon & Gledhill, 1999

Common Name/s:

English

–

Orange Spotted Catshark, Rusty Catshark, Spotted Catshark

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Assessed:	2003
Assessor/s:	Kyne, P.M. & Bennett, M.B. (SSG Australia & Oceania Regional Workshop, March 2003)
Reviewer/s:	Shark Specialist Group Australia & Oceania Regional Group (Shark Red List Authority)
Justification: Asymbolus rubiginosus is a little known catshark endemic to southeastern Australia. It is demersal on the continental shelf and upper slope with a wide bathymetric range. Little is known of its biology. It is of no interest to fisheries, but is caught as bycatch in some demersal trawl fisheries. The species may have a continuous egg-laying cycle leading to high productivity, resulting in resilience to the effects of trawling.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Asymbolus rubiginosus is endemic to the western Pacific in temperate to subtropical waters off eastern Australia, ranging from Moreton Island, southeastern Queensland to Port Arthur, Tasmania, including waters of New South Wales and Victoria (Last and Stevens 1994, Last 1999).
Countries:	Native: Australia (New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria)
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:	Native: Indian Ocean – eastern; Pacific – western central; Pacific – southwest
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

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 rubiginosus is demersal on the continental shelf and upper slope and is reported in depths of 25 to 540 m (Last 1999), although it is uncommon in shallower waters. It reaches at least 549 mm total length (TL) with males maturing at about 344 mm TL (Last 1999). Little is known of the biology of this species. Observed stomach contents include fish, cephalopods and the egg cases of other scyliorhinid sharks (personal observation). The species is oviparous with one functional ovary in females. Ovulated females generally contain two egg cases, one in each oviduct. Ovulated females have been observed during the months of July, August and October (personal observation). The species may not have a well-defined reproductive season, similar to the situation with other scyliorhinid sharks and evidence suggests it may be a productive species. There is no available information on age and growth, natural mortality or behavioural ecology.
Systems:	Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

Asymbolus rubiginosus is demersal on the continental shelf and upper slope and is reported in depths of 25 to 540 m (Last 1999), although it is uncommon in shallower waters. It reaches at least 549 mm total length (TL) with males maturing at about 344 mm TL (Last 1999). Little is known of the biology of this species. Observed stomach contents include fish, cephalopods and the egg cases of other scyliorhinid sharks (personal observation). The species is oviparous with one functional ovary in females. Ovulated females generally contain two egg cases, one in each oviduct. Ovulated females have been observed during the months of July, August and October (personal observation). The species may not have a well-defined reproductive season, similar to the situation with other scyliorhinid sharks and evidence suggests it may be a productive species. There is no available information on age and growth, natural mortality or behavioural ecology.

Systems:

Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Asymbolus rubiginosus is presently of no commercial value (Last and Stevens 1994). It is recorded as discarded bycatch in the South East Trawl Fishery, which operates in southern Australian waters from New South Wales to South Australia (Anonymous 2001). In bycatch surveys of the eastern king prawn sector, deepwater component of the Queensland East Coast Trawl Fishery, A. rubiginosus was the second most common elasmobranch caught, although numbers captured were still relatively low (Kyne, unpubl. data). It is probable that the species is also a component of the bycatch of other demersal trawl fisheries operating in its distribution.

Major Threat(s):

Asymbolus rubiginosus is presently of no commercial value (Last and Stevens 1994). It is recorded as discarded bycatch in the South East Trawl Fishery, which operates in southern Australian waters from New South Wales to South Australia (Anonymous 2001). In bycatch surveys of the eastern king prawn sector, deepwater component of the Queensland East Coast Trawl Fishery, A. rubiginosus was the second most common elasmobranch caught, although numbers captured were still relatively low (Kyne, unpubl. data). It is probable that the species is also a component of the bycatch of other demersal trawl fisheries operating in its distribution.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	There are currently no management measures in place for this species. Due to its bathymetric distribution it is unlikely to occur inside any marine protected areas. Research needs to assess the level of bycatch in trawl fisheries and the life history of the species.

Conservation Actions:

There are currently no management measures in place for this species. Due to its bathymetric distribution it is unlikely to occur inside any marine protected areas. Research needs to assess the level of bycatch in trawl fisheries and the life history of the species.

Citation:	Kyne, P.M. & Bennett, M.B. 2003. Asymbolus rubiginosus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 04 February 2012.
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