Atelomycterus marmoratus

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:

Atelomycterus marmoratus

Species Authority:

Bennett, 1830

Common Name/s:

English	–	Coral Catshark
French	–	Chien Corail
Spanish	–	Pintarrojia

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Near Threatened ver 3.1
Year Assessed:	2003
Assessor/s:	White, W.T. (SSG Australia & Oceania Regional Workshop, March 2003)
Reviewer/s:	Fowler, S. & Cavanagh, R.D. (Shark Red List Authority)
Justification: Little is known of the biology of this widespread and common inshore Indo-West Pacific coral reef species. This species represents a minor catch in artisanal fisheries in several eastern Indonesian localities, e.g., Central Java, Bali and Lombok, and it is probable that this species is also caught in such fisheries in West Papua and other parts of its range, north to Taiwan. Increasing fishing pressure and habitat destruction (e.g., dynamite fishing, pollution and coral mining) are likely to represent significant threats to this species. Although data are not available to quantify these impacts, there is concern that this species could meet the criteria for Vulnerable due to the high level of exploitation. Further investigation of the population structure and range of this species is required to refine this assessment of its status.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Atelomycterus marmoratus has a wide range in the tropical regions of the Indo-West Pacific (Fowler 1941, Springer 1979, Compagno 1984, Yamakawa et al. 1995, Compagno and Niem 1998). Although McKay (1966) recorded three specimens of A. marmoratus from Western Australia, further examination revealed these as in fact being one Atelomycterus macleayi and two Atelomycterus fasciatus (Compagno and Stevens 1993). Thus, this species is apparently absent from Australian waters but has been recorded from New Guinea (Springer 1979, Compagno 1988).
Countries:	Native: Bangladesh; Cambodia; China; India; Indonesia; Japan; Malaysia; Pakistan; Papua New Guinea; Philippines; Singapore; Taiwan, Province of China; Thailand; Viet Nam
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:	Native: Indian Ocean – eastern; Indian Ocean – western; Pacific – western central; Pacific – southwest
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population Trend:	Unknown

Population Trend:

Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Little is known about this common inshore species. Found on coral reefs and thought to inhabit crevices and holes on reefs (Compagno 1984). Atelomycterus marmoratus is reported to attain a length of 70 cm, adult males between 47 and 62 cm; adult females 49 to 57 cm (Compagno 1984). There is no available information on the reproductive biology, age and growth or diets of this species.
Systems:	Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Although A. marmoratus is widespread through the Indo-West Pacific, habitat destruction within its range, and increasing fishing pressure are likely to represent significant threats. This species may be under threat from habitat destruction by dynamite fishing, especially in eastern Indonesia, e.g., Tanjung Luar in Lombok (W. White, personal observation), and also maybe by coral removal in some parts of the region for use as building materials, e.g., Candi Dasa in Bali. Fisheries catches appear to be only minor throughout this species distribution, for example, it represents a minor catch in artisanal fisheries in several eastern Indonesian localities (W. White pers. obs.), and although it is probably caught in fisheries in West Papua and other parts of its range, information is very sparse. This species is close to the criteria of Vulnerable A2d+3d+4d due to the high level of exploitation within its range, but is assessed as Near Threatened due to the lack of detailed species composition data for fisheries and extent of habitat destruction in this region.

Major Threat(s):

Although A. marmoratus is widespread through the Indo-West Pacific, habitat destruction within its range, and increasing fishing pressure are likely to represent significant threats. This species may be under threat from habitat destruction by dynamite fishing, especially in eastern Indonesia, e.g., Tanjung Luar in Lombok (W. White, personal observation), and also maybe by coral removal in some parts of the region for use as building materials, e.g., Candi Dasa in Bali. Fisheries catches appear to be only minor throughout this species distribution, for example, it represents a minor catch in artisanal fisheries in several eastern Indonesian localities (W. White pers. obs.), and although it is probably caught in fisheries in West Papua and other parts of its range, information is very sparse. This species is close to the criteria of Vulnerable A2d+3d+4d due to the high level of exploitation within its range, but is assessed as Near Threatened due to the lack of detailed species composition data for fisheries and extent of habitat destruction in this region.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Protection of the natural habitat of this species and education should be considered in the future for such coral dwelling species in this region. The collection of species composition data from fisheries within the range of this species is necessary.

Conservation Actions:

Protection of the natural habitat of this species and education should be considered in the future for such coral dwelling species in this region. The collection of species composition data from fisheries within the range of this species is necessary.

Bibliography [top]

	Compagno, L.J.V. 1984. FAO species catalogue. Vol. 4. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. No. 125, vol. 4. Compagno, L.J.V. 1988. Sharks of the order Carcharhiniformes. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey Compagno, L.J.V. and Niem, V.H. 1998. Scyliorhinidae. In: K.E., Carpenter and V.H., Niem (eds) FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 2. Cephalopods, crustaceans, holothurians and sharks. FAO, Rome Compagno, L.J.V and Stevens, J.D. 1993. Atelomycterus fasciatus n.sp., a new catshark (Chondrichthyes: Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae) from tropical Australia. Records of the Australian Museum. 45: 147-149. Fowler, H.W. 1941. The fishes of the groups Elasmobranchii, Holocephali, Isospondyli, and Ostariophysi obtained by United States Bureau of Fisheries Steamer Albatross in 1907 to 1910, chiefly in the Philippines Islands and adjacent seas. Bulletin of the United States National Museum (100) 13: 1-879. 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/. Last, P.R. and Stevens, J.D. 1994. Sharks and Rays of Australia. CSIRO, Australia. McKay, R.J. 1966 Studies on western Australian sharks and rays of the families Scyliorhinidae, Urolophidae, and Torpedinidae. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia. 49(3): 65-82. Springer, S. 1979 A revision of the catsharks, family Scyliorhinidae. NOAA Technical Report. National Marine Fisheries Service Circular 422:1-152. Yamakawa, T., Machida, Y. and Gushima, K. 1995 First record of the coral catshark, Atelomycterus marmoratus, from Kuchierabu Island, southern Japan. Japanese Journal of Ichthylogy 42(2): 193-195.

Compagno, L.J.V. 1984. FAO species catalogue. Vol. 4. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. No. 125, vol. 4.

Compagno, L.J.V. 1988. Sharks of the order Carcharhiniformes. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey

Compagno, L.J.V. and Niem, V.H. 1998. Scyliorhinidae. In: K.E., Carpenter and V.H., Niem (eds) FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 2. Cephalopods, crustaceans, holothurians and sharks. FAO, Rome

Compagno, L.J.V and Stevens, J.D. 1993. Atelomycterus fasciatus n.sp., a new catshark (Chondrichthyes: Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae) from tropical Australia. Records of the Australian Museum. 45: 147-149.

Fowler, H.W. 1941. The fishes of the groups Elasmobranchii, Holocephali, Isospondyli, and Ostariophysi obtained by United States Bureau of Fisheries Steamer Albatross in 1907 to 1910, chiefly in the Philippines Islands and adjacent seas. Bulletin of the United States National Museum (100) 13: 1-879.

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/.

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

McKay, R.J. 1966 Studies on western Australian sharks and rays of the families Scyliorhinidae, Urolophidae, and Torpedinidae. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia. 49(3): 65-82.

Springer, S. 1979 A revision of the catsharks, family Scyliorhinidae. NOAA Technical Report. National Marine Fisheries Service Circular 422:1-152.

Yamakawa, T., Machida, Y. and Gushima, K. 1995 First record of the coral catshark, Atelomycterus marmoratus, from Kuchierabu Island, southern Japan. Japanese Journal of Ichthylogy 42(2): 193-195.

Citation:	White, W.T. 2003. Atelomycterus marmoratus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2012.
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