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102 Zoology in the M iddle East 42, 2007

The Arabian G ulfs first record of the Olive Ridley,

Lepidochelys olivacea, from Kuwait

by James M. Bishop, Talal Deshti and Saud Al-Ayoub

Four species of turtles have been recorded in Kuwait, and breeding of two is well docu

mented (M e a k i n s & A l -M o h a n n a 2004). Kuwaits two most common species, the Green

Turle (Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758)) and the Hawksbill Turtle ( Eretmochelys imbricate

(Linnaeus, 1776)) breed on offshore islands of Kubber, Qaruh, and Umm Al-Maradem. The

Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758)) is less abundant and breeding has not

been documented. In March 2000, a moribund Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea

(Vandelli, 1761)) washed ashore becoming Kuw aits fourth turtle species (A l-M oha nn a &M e a k i n s 2001). Here we report from Kuwaits territorial waters a fifth species o f turtle.

During comparative catch trials NW Kubber Island (2910N, 4828E) with by-catch re

duction devices (BYRDs) and turtle-excluder devices (TEDs) for shrimp trawls, an unfamil

iar turtle was captured in the control net on 19 October 2003 during a two-hour tow from

2100 to 2300 (Fig. la). Close examination revealed this specimen to be an Olive Ridley,

Lepidochelys olivacea (Eschscholtz, 1829), which represents the first documented record

from the entire Arabian Gulf.

Identification of the species is based on FAOs Sea Turtles of the World (1990). Diagnos

tic characters included four prefrontal scales (Fig. lb) , 8 relatively narrow lateral dorsalcarapace scutes (Fig. lc), and a very characteristic plastron (Fig. Id). This specimen appears

to be a female judg ing from the small sized tail in Fig. Id. The curved carapace length of this

specimen measured 67.5 cm (Fig. le). When initially captured, the turtle was moribund, but

revived after resuscitation. After measuring and photographing, the Olive Ridley was re

leased.

This was the only turtle captured during the BYRDs and TEDs trials conducted during

three five-day periods: 16-20 October and 6-10 December 2003, and 14-18 February 2004

(Al-Ayoub et al. 2005). During these periods, a total of 92 comparative trawl tows (test

devices and controls) were completed, each lasting from 30 to 120 minutes. Turtles are fairly

common in Kuwaits waters in the summer, and there are quite a few records o f them being

captured in intertidal fish traps during the colder months of the year (A l-M uhan na &

M ea kins 2000). With a shrimp fishery active from mid-August or 1 September, turtle cap

tures are surprisingly few. During one season in which turtle captures were monitored, a

single turtle capture was reported by one of Kuwaits three shrimping fleets (A. WILLSON,

pers. comm., 14.viii.2007). This fleet operates 20 industrial trawlers, each capable o f towing

two nets simultaneously. It appears that most of the turtles have begun migrating south by

the time shrimping season opens (A. W il ls o n , pers. comm., 15viii.2007).

The nearest breeding population o f the Olive Ridley is on O mans Masirah Island

(G asp e re tti et al. 1993, Rees & B a k e r 2006), and Pakistans Hawkes Bay and Sandspitnear Karachi ( A s ra r 1999). Olive Ridleys have been recorded along Iran s coast in the Gulf

of Oman, but no Iranian records from the Arabian (Persian) Gulf exists (KAMI 1997, A.

M ob ara k i, pers. comm., 17.viii.2007). The presence of Olive Ridleys in the U.A.E. has

been suspected (M ill e r et al. 2004, Ba ldw in & G a rd n e r 2005), but none has been docu

mented. Olive Ridleys are likely more common in the Arabian Gulf than this single record

suggests. M ost encounters w ith turtles, however, are with fishermen, nearly all o f whom are

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Short Communications 103

Fig. 1. Olive Ridley among trawl by-catch on 19 October 2003 in Kuwait. The right photograph shows thefour prefrontal head scales (photo by T. Deshti).

unfamiliar with distinguishing features o f turtle species. Consequently, it may be a long time

before another fortuitous encounter occurs between scientists and a specimen of L. olivacea.

References

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A utho rs address: J. M. Bishop, T. Deshti and S. Al-Ayoub, Mariculture and Fisheries Department,

Food Resources Division, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 1638, 22017 Salmiya,

Kuwait. - Email contact:jbishop@mfd.kisr.edu.kw.

mailto:jbishop@mfd.kisr.edu.kwmailto:jbishop@mfd.kisr.edu.kw