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


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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:   (4335 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.

 

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Type of Study: Short Communication | Subject: Species Diversity
Received: 2023/02/26 | Accepted: 2023/03/15 | Published: 2023/03/31

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