Centrophorus moluccensis

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	CHONDRICHTHYES	SQUALIFORMES	CENTROPHORIDAE

Scientific Name:

Centrophorus moluccensis

Species Authority:

Bleeker, 1860

Common Name/s:

English

–

Endeavour Dogfish, Smallfin Gulper Shark

Synonym/s:

Atractophorus armatus

Centrophorus scalpratus

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Data Deficient ver 3.1
Year Assessed:	2003
Assessor/s	Pogonoski, J. & Pollard, D. (SSG Australia & Oceania Regional Workshop, March 2003)
Evaluator/s:	Shark Specialist Group Australia & Oceania Regional Group & Graham, K. (Shark Red List Authority)
Justification: A fishery independent trawl survey of the Australian population documented declines of over 95% between 1976 to 1977 and 1996 to 1997 between the Sydney area (central New South Wales) and the Eden-Gabo Island Area (southern New South Wales/northern Victoria). However, populations of this species in Western Australia waters have not been overfished like those along the east coast of Australia and are therefore not threatened with extinction. Overall population declines in Australian waters have resulted in an Endangered assessment in Australia. The relatively narrow continental slope habitat of this species (which is fished throughout its entire depth range on the east coast of Australia) suggests that it may now only be present in significant numbers in east coast areas that are non-trawlable. However, as dropline fishers also harvest this species off New South Wales (under New South Wales jurisdiction), further pressure may be placed on it in such areas. As with other deepwater sharks, particularly this genus, the low fecundity (1 to 2 pups maximum every 1 to 2 years), high longevity (closely related species live for at least 46 years according to preliminary ageing studies) and probable late age at first maturity of this species not only result in extremely rapid population depletion in fisheries, but also prevent it from quick recovery after such depletion. It is still to be determined whether Centrophorus moluccensis may be a different (related) species outside the Australasia region, thus this species is currently Data Deficient globally pending further study. However, deepwater demersal trawl fisheries are expanding in other parts of its potential range, and with the observed declines described above, together with the knowledge that its biology is similar to other deepwater sharks, this, and related species warrant urgent conservation attention globally.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	The taxonomy of Centrophorus species in Australia needs further attention and this species may also warrant closer examination of its distribution and populations. It is still to be determined whether C. moluccensis may in fact be a different (related) species in South Africa, Taiwan, and elsewhere from that known from the Australasia region (D. Ebert, pers.comm., April 2003). In addition, records from the Great Australian Bight (SA) and Tasmania require further investigation.
Countries:	Native: Australia; Indonesia; Japan; Mozambique; New Caledonia; Philippines; South Africa Presence uncertain: India; Sri Lanka
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:	Native: Indian Ocean – western; Indian Ocean – eastern; Pacific – northwest; Pacific – southwest; Pacific – western central

Population [top]

Population:	The population size (although suspected to be small on the east coast) and number and size of subpopulations is unknown. Given the susceptibility of Centrophorus species to overfishing all remaining populations of this species need to be conserved.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Demersal on the outer continental and insular shelves and upper slopes in 125 to 820 m, but in Australian waters most common in 300 to 500 m (Last and Stevens 1994). Ovoviviparous, mostly with litters of two pups (Last and Stevens 1994). The diet of this species consists of bony fishes, cephalopods, elasmobranchs and crustaceans (Last and Stevens 1994). Resilience is very low, minimum population doubling time is more than 14 years (Fishbase). Males mature at 69 to 73 cm and reach 86 cm and females mature at about 88 cm and reach 98 cm (Compagno 1984, Daley et al. 2002). Born at about 31 to 37 cm (Daley et al. 2002). The low fecundity, high longevity (closely related species live for at least 46 years according to preliminary ageing studies by Fenton (2001) and probable late age at first maturity of this species prevent it from quick recovery after sustained fishing of its populations in the last 20 to 30 years (Graham et al. 2001, Daley et al. 2002).
Systems:	Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

Demersal on the outer continental and insular shelves and upper slopes in 125 to 820 m, but in Australian waters most common in 300 to 500 m (Last and Stevens 1994). Ovoviviparous, mostly with litters of two pups (Last and Stevens 1994). The diet of this species consists of bony fishes, cephalopods, elasmobranchs and crustaceans (Last and Stevens 1994). Resilience is very low, minimum population doubling time is more than 14 years (Fishbase). Males mature at 69 to 73 cm and reach 86 cm and females mature at about 88 cm and reach 98 cm (Compagno 1984, Daley et al. 2002). Born at about 31 to 37 cm (Daley et al. 2002). The low fecundity, high longevity (closely related species live for at least 46 years according to preliminary ageing studies by Fenton (2001) and probable late age at first maturity of this species prevent it from quick recovery after sustained fishing of its populations in the last 20 to 30 years (Graham et al. 2001, Daley et al. 2002).

Systems:

Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The species is fished throughout its entire depth range on the east coast of Australia. 1) Demersal trawling (South East Trawl Fishery) in NSW, eastern Victoria and SA (Daley et al. 2002). 2) Droplining off NSW (NSW Fisheries jurisdiction) 3) South-East Non-Trawl Fishery (SE Australia) Documented declines of over 95% between 1976-77 and 1996-97 between the Sydney area (central NSW) and the Eden-Gabo I. Area (southern NSW/northern Victoria) by the trawl research vessel Kapala (fishery independent survey) (Graham et al. 1997, Graham et al. 2001, Andrew et al. 1997). Catches in the abovementioned areas in 220-605 m (i.e., most of the preferred depth range of this species) declined from a mean of 12.3 kg/h in 1976-77 to a mean of 0.2 kg/h in 1996-97. The populations of this species in WA waters have not been overfished like those along the east coast of Australia. Centrophorus dogfishes are marketed for their flesh and liver oil (squalene) (Daley et al. 2002).

Major Threat(s):

The species is fished throughout its entire depth range on the east coast of Australia.

1) Demersal trawling (South East Trawl Fishery) in NSW, eastern Victoria and SA (Daley et al. 2002).
2) Droplining off NSW (NSW Fisheries jurisdiction)
3) South-East Non-Trawl Fishery (SE Australia)

Documented declines of over 95% between 1976-77 and 1996-97 between the Sydney area (central NSW) and the Eden-Gabo I. Area (southern NSW/northern Victoria) by the trawl research vessel Kapala (fishery independent survey) (Graham et al. 1997, Graham et al. 2001, Andrew et al. 1997). Catches in the abovementioned areas in 220-605 m (i.e., most of the preferred depth range of this species) declined from a mean of 12.3 kg/h in 1976-77 to a mean of 0.2 kg/h in 1996-97. The populations of this species in WA waters have not been overfished like those along the east coast of Australia.

Centrophorus dogfishes are marketed for their flesh and liver oil (squalene) (Daley et al. 2002).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Recent (Jan 2003) management changes to the SETF by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority limit the combined catch of Centrophorus dogfishes to a maximum of 150 kg trunked weight per trip. In addition, livers of Centrophorus are not to be retained unless the individual carcasses from which they were obtained are also landed (J. Stevens, CSIRO, pers. comm. March 2003). Centrophorus moluccensis has also been nominated for listing as a Vulnerable species on the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). If listed as Vulnerable, the EPBC Act requires that a Recovery Plan be put in place within a five-year period (Sara Williams, Environment Australia, pers. comm. March 2003).

Conservation Actions:

Recent (Jan 2003) management changes to the SETF by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority limit the combined catch of Centrophorus dogfishes to a maximum of 150 kg trunked weight per trip. In addition, livers of Centrophorus are not to be retained unless the individual carcasses from which they were obtained are also landed (J. Stevens, CSIRO, pers. comm. March 2003).

Centrophorus moluccensis has also been nominated for listing as a Vulnerable species on the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). If listed as Vulnerable, the EPBC Act requires that a Recovery Plan be put in place within a five-year period (Sara Williams, Environment Australia, pers. comm. March 2003).

Citation:	Pogonoski, J. & Pollard, D. 2003. Centrophorus moluccensis. In: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 03 December 2008.
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