Fishes of the Emirates

Abstract

Fishes are among the most diverse and abundant groups of animals in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and support fisheries that are second most important economic resource in the UAE, after oil. Most fishes are found in the coastal waters, and several species even live in the freshwater pools and streams up in the mountain wadis. Fishes are most abundant in the Gulf of Oman and gradually decline in both abundance and diversity passing through the Strait of Hormuz and towards the southwestern region of the Arabian Gulf, mirroring the increasingly extreme environmental conditions. As fish in the southern Gulf experience extreme environmental conditions, such as high temperatures, that would kill fish from populations elsewhere in the world they are of great scientific value for understanding how fish and their communities might respond to climate change, with studies demonstrating the behavioural and physiological changes that result from these extreme conditions. Fishes in the Emirates are, however, heavily overfished and like fishes elsewhere vulnerable to climate change resulting in Arabian Gulf fish now being vulnerable to local extinction. While fisheries are now being managed to protect vulnerable species, further management is required to protect fish populations for future generations.