Volume 5, Issue 1 (3-2023)                   JAD 2023, 5(1): 108-112 | Back to browse issues page


XML Print


Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:

Tollab M A, Rezaie-Atagholipour M, Ali Abedi H, Askari Hesni M, Abedi E, Ahmadi F et al . After two decades: extremely rare records of dugongs, Dugong dugon (Sirenia: Dugongidae), in the Iranian Persian Gulf. JAD 2023; 5 (1) :108-112
URL: http://jad.lu.ac.ir/article-1-284-en.html
1- Department of Environment (DOE), Bushehr, Bushehr Province, Iran
2- Qeshm Environmental Conservation Institute (QECI), Persian Gulf Biotechnology Park, Qeshm Island, Iran , mra@qeci.org
3- Qeshm Environmental Conservation Institute (QECI), Persian Gulf Biotechnology Park, Qeshm Island, Iran
4- Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
5- Department of Ocean Science, Iranian National Institute for Oceanography and Atmospheric Science, Tehran, Iran
6- Qeshm Environmental Conservation Institute (QECI), Persian Gulf Biotechnology Park, Qeshm Island, Iran; Peruvian Centre for Cetacean Research (CEPEC), Museo de Delfines, Pucusana, Lima 20, Peru
Abstract:   (4342 Views)

The world's second-largest dugong, Dugong dugon (Müller), population after that of Australia forages among rich seagrass meadows along the Arabian coast of the Persian Gulf; however, the relatively seagrass-poor Iranian coast is considered an exceptional habitat for the species. The last modern dugong records along the Iranian Persian Gulf occurred two decades ago, which, however, are unsupported. Here we present two new documented records of D. dugon from an area in the Iranian coastal waters of Bushehr Province, near the Mond River estuary (Mond Protected Area), northeastern Persian Gulf. These include one individual, probably female, of ca. 2.5–3 m body length found floating, in moderate decomposition, in offshore waters of the Motaf fishing ground on 30 April 2021, and one ca. 3 m female encountered entangled in a set gillnet in inshore waters of the same area on 29 December 2022, and which was successfully released alive. The potential of the area as a possible historical habitat for dugongs, and further implications, are discussed.

 

Full-Text [PDF 1088 kb]   (1775 Downloads)    
Type of Study: Short Communication | Subject: Species Diversity
Received: 2023/02/26 | Accepted: 2023/03/15 | Published: 2023/03/31

References
1. Al-Abdulrazzak, D. and Pauly, D. (2017). Reconstructing historical baselines for the … Dugong, Dugong dugon (Mammalia: Sirena). Zoology in the Middle East, 63: 95-102. [DOI:10.1080/09397140.2017.1315853]
2. Baldwin, R. M., Gallagher, M. and Van Waerebeek, K. (1999). A review of cetaceans from waters off the Arabian Peninsula, In: Fisher, M., Ghazanfar, S. A. and Spalton, J. A. (Eds), The Natural History of Oman: A Festschrift for Michael Gallagher. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden. pp. 161-189.
3. Beni, A. N., Marriner, N., Sharifi, A., Azizpour, J., Kabiri, K., Djamali, M. and Kirman, A. (2021). Climate change: A driver of future conflicts in the Persian Gulf Region? Heliyon, 7 (2): e06288. [DOI:10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06288] [PMID] [PMCID]
4. Braulik, G. T., Ranjbar, S., Owfi, F., Aminrad, T., Dakhteh, S. M. H., Kamrani, E. and Mohsenizadeh, F. (2010). Marine mammal records from Iran. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management, 11(1): 49-63. [DOI:10.47536/jcrm.v11i1.630]
5. Deutsch, C. J., Castelblanco-Martínez, D. N., Groom, R. and Cleguer, C. (2022). Movement behavior of manatees and dugongs: I. Environmental challenges drive diversity in migratory patterns and other large-scale movements, In: Marsh, H. (Ed.), Ethology and behavioral ecology of Sirenia. Ethology and behavioral ecology of marine mammals. Springer, Cham. pp. 155-231. [DOI:10.1007/978-3-030-90742-6_5]
6. Erftemeijer, P. L. A. and Shuail, D. A. (2012). Seagrass habitats …: distribution, tolerance thresholds and threats. Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management, 15: 73-83. [DOI:10.1080/14634988.2012.668479]
7. Firouz, E. (2005). The complete fauna of Iran. IB Tauris, London and New York. 322 pp. [DOI:10.5040/9780755612215]
8. Geraci, J. R. and Lounsbury, V. J. (2005). Marine mammals ashore. A field guide for strandings. Second Edition. National Aquarium in Baltimore, MD, USA. 371 pp.
9. Green, I. (2000). Iran: wild Persia. October/November 2000. A Greentours tour report. Greentours, Buxton, UK. 22 pp.
10. Jefferson, T. A., Webber, M. A. and Pitman, R. L. (2008). Marine mammals of the world: a comprehensive guide to their identification. Second Edition. Academic Press, USA. 616 pp.
11. Keijl, G. O. and van der Have, T. M. (2002). Observations on marine mammals in southern Iran, January 2000. Zoology in the Middle East, 26 (1): 37-40. [DOI:10.1080/09397140.2002.10637919]
12. Marsh, H. and Sobtzick, S. (2019). Dugong dugon (amended version of 2015 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T6909A160756767.
13. Marsh, H., Albouy, C., Arraut, E., Castelblanco-Martínez, D. N., Collier, C., Edwards, H., James, C. and Keith-Diagne, L. (2022). How might climate change affect the ethology and behavioral ecology of dugongs and manatees? In: Marsh, H. (Ed.), Ethology and behavioral ecology of Sirenia. Ethology and behavioral ecology of marine mammals. Springer, Cham. pp. 351-406. [DOI:10.1007/978-3-030-90742-6_8]
14. Marsh, H., Penrose, H., Eros, C. and Hugues, J. (2002). Dugong status reports and actions plans for countries and territories. UNEP, Nairobi. 162 pp.
15. Marshall, C. D., Al Ansi, M., Dupont, J., Warren, C., Al Shaikh, I. and Cullen, J. (2018). Large dugong (Dugong dugon) aggregations persist in coastal Qatar. Marne Mammal Science, 34: 1154-1163. [DOI:10.1111/mms.12497]
16. Mwango'mbe, M., Spilsbury, J., Trott, S., Nyunja, J., Nina, W., Collins, T., Gomes, I. and Pérez-Jorge, S. (2021). Cetacean research and citizen science in Kenya. Frontiers in Marine Science, 8: 642399. [DOI:10.3389/fmars.2021.642399]
17. Naderloo, R., Shahdadi, A., Rahimian, H., Ghodarati Shojaie, M. and Nasrolahi, A. (2023). Atlas of Iranian sensitive marine ecosystems: Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. The University of Tehran Press, Tehran. 355 pp. [In Persian]
18. Preen, A. (2004). Distribution, abundance and conservation status of dugongs and dolphins in the southern and western Persian Gulf. Biological Conservation, 118 (2): 205-218. [DOI:10.1016/j.biocon.2003.08.014]
19. Preen, A., Das, H., Al-Rumaidh, M. and Hodgson, A. (2012). Dugongs in Arabia, In: Hines, E., Reynolds, J. E., Aragones, L., Mignucci-Giannoni, A. and Marmontel, M. (Eds.), Sirenian conservation: Issues and strategies in developing countries. University of Florida Press, Gainesville, Florida, USA. pp. 91-98. [DOI:10.2307/j.ctvx079z0.16]
20. Rezaie-Atagholipour, M., Imani, F., Ghezellou, P. and Seminoff, J. A. (2021). Feeding ecology of juvenile green turtles in food-poor habitats of the Persian Gulf. Marine Biology, 168: 4. [DOI:10.1007/s00227-020-03809-4]

Add your comments about this article : Your username or Email:
CAPTCHA

Send email to the article author


Rights and permissions
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

  | Journal of Animal Diversity

Designed & Developed by : Yektaweb