Taxonomy
Scientific name
Authority
Synonyms
Common names
Taxonomic sources
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Identification Information
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Taxonomic notes
Assessment Information
- IUCN Red List Category and Criteria
- Least Concern ver 3.1
- Assessment language
- English
- Year published
- 2018
- Date assessed
- 2017-07-19 00:00:00 UTC
Previously published Red List assessments
Regional assessments
Reviewer(s)
Contributor(s)
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Assessor(s)
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Facilitator(s) / Compiler(s)
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Partner(s) / Institution(s)
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Authority / Authorities
Geographic Range
Native
Extant (resident)
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Extant
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Population
Along with D. macrosoma, this is one of the dominant species in the East China Sea (Ohshimo et al. 2006). In the East China Sea large purse seine fishery, annual catch has ranged from 3,500 to 55,000 tonnes since 1960 (Ohshimo et al. 2006) and effort has been increasing (Zhang et al. 2010). Effort in Chinese waters and others increased significantly beginning in the late 1970's due to the advent of large purse seine and trawl vessels. As a result, declines in catch-per-unit-effort occurred (Zheng and Walters 1988). Populations also fluctuate with oceanographic conditions (Zheng and Walters 1988, Qiu et al. 2010). The fishery in the northern South China Sea experienced rapid growth from the 1970's to 1990's, and fishing effort levelled off after the late 1990's. Fishing effort is expected to remain at the current level due to the placement of strict licensing controls, and difficulty in reducing the size of the fleet (Qiu et al. 2010). According to FAO catch statistics, annual catch of scads reported by China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands has increased by nearly 6000% since 1978 and is apparently continuing on an increasing trend as of 2015 (FAO FishStatJ database accessed May 2017).
Habitat and Ecology
Marine
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This pelagic, schooling species occurs in inshore as well as offshore areas and may enter semi-enclosed seas. In Guam, this species has been observed in large numbers around fish aggregating devices, buoys anchored offshore to attract pelagic game fishes (Myers 1991, Yamada et al. 1995). The main spawning period in the East China Sea is June (Kishida 1978, Ohshimo et al. 2006). Its longevity is at least six years and age at first sexual maturity is about two years (Ohshimo et al. 2006). Its estimated generation length is three years. Chen et al. (2003) estimated natural mortality as 0.85.
Classification scheme
| Habitats | Suitability | Major importance |
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Threats
This species is commercially exploited in fisheries that target mixed scad and mackerel species throughout its range. It is targeted in the East China Sea off Kyushu, Japan by the large purse seine fishery (Ohshimo et al. 2006). It is also targeted as part of a reduction fishery off Thailand and China for the production of fish meal and/or fertilizer. The species is typically not highly desired for human consumption, but food science methods are being explored to make the flesh more palatable (Thiansilakul et al. 2007, Jiang et al. 2014).
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There are no known major threats at this time; however, heavy fishing effort could impact its population in the future if not managed.
Classification scheme
Threats
| title | scope | timing | score | severity |
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Use trade
This species is commercially exploited in fisheries that target mixed scad and mackerel species throughout its range. It is targeted in the East China Sea off Kyushu, Japan by the large purse seine fishery (Ohshimo et al. 2006). It is also targeted as part of a reduction fishery off Thailand and China for the production of fish meal and/or fertilizer. The species is typically not highly desired for human consumption, but food science methods are being explored to make the flesh more palatable (Thiansilakul et al. 2007, Jiang et al. 2014).
Text summary
Given reductions in fishing effort, this species is expected to recover from overfishing relatively quickly (Zheng and Walters 1988). There are concerns that catch of juveniles has been excessive in the northern South China Sea, and enforcement of a minimum size limit for catch is needed (Yang et al. 2009). Fishing effort is not expected to increase due to strict licensing controls, but it has been difficult to reduce the size of the fleet (Qiu et al. 2010).