Biodiversity Information Projects of the World

Catalog of Fishes On-line

Project Website

http://www.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatsearch.html

Project Description

This January 2004 Catalog is more recent than the hardbound printed edition (April, 1998)—a 3-volume set of 2,905 pp. and a CD-ROM (see ordering information). Many errors have been corrected and new additions made in the on-line version.

Treated in the "Catalog of Fishes" are about 56,000 described species and subspecies (= species) of fishes, about 10,600 genera and subgenera (= genera) of fishes, and about 21,700 references. Approximately 4,000 of the species names are not available for use because of technical reasons. About 26,000 species are valid ones, and about 25,000 are synonyms. About 200-300 new species are being described each year.

Included in the on-line version are all species, genera, and references, along with the classification, introduction, and list of museum abreviations. Other parts of the printed version are not included, such as the interpretation of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (Appendix A), and the species and genera in a classification (which can be simulated with appropriate searches), and Appendix B.

This is the first treatment of all described fishes since Linnaeus in 1758. Nearly all original descriptions have been located and examined by one or more of us. Some names not in current use have been found. Many mistakes in current literature are noted. We have also tried to determine the location of type specimens—entering information from available type catalogs, and the first author made visits to many major museums in search of information on types.

Contact

William N. Eschmeyer
Author
Californian Academy of Sciences

Project Type

Data Aggregator

Project Language

English

Project Start Date

01-Feb-2004

Project End Date

01-Feb-2004

Key Inputs

Digital version of a hardcopy catalog

Key Infrastructure

Hardcopy book and on-line database

Key Technologies

Unknown

Key Processes

Collation of information

Geographic Scope

Global - Global

Taxonomic Scope

Life - All fishes

Comments

Mainly a reference collection

Record Status

Information about this project is Complete.
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