GfI fish species atlas now also presents marine fishes
The GfI Fish Species Atlas now also includes marine fish from the North and Baltic Seas. All 94 species from the “Red List and Total Species List of Established Fishes and Lampreys (Elasmobranchii, Actinopterygii & Petromyzontida) of the Marine Waters of Germany” by Thiel et al. (2013) are included.
In addition, the atlas also shows numerous rarer, non-established species or those that have so far only been recorded outside Germany, e.g. Atlantic bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus, Moonfish Mola mola, Slender driftfish Cubiceps gracilis or Long-snouted seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus.
Study area
The study area comprises
– the German marine waters (territorial sea and the German Exclusive Economic Zone AWZ) as well as
– the area of the Trilateral Wadden Sea Cooperation between Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands.
– Geographically, however, fish records from adjacent marine areas (e.g. Oder Bay, Skagerrak, Kattegat, Rhine estuary) were also considered in individual cases.
The focus of interest tends to be on the rarer and economically insignificant species, many of which are often also referred to as “small fish species”, such as the sea stickleback Spinachia spinachia, Shan Lipophrys pholis or Hooknose Agonus cataphractus. For many other species, however, reference should be made to the extensive databases of e.g. GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility), OBIS (Ocean Biodiversity Information System) or ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) for distribution maps, which are then explicitly referred to in the species descriptions.
Work in progress
At this point in time, the incorporation of the extensive distribution data and species descriptions cannot be regarded as nearly completed. The editors would therefore be pleased to receive information on literature as well as corrections and additions! Photos of the species are also very welcome, as soon as they can be posted here under the licence Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Distribution data can also be submitted at any time via the Biodiversity Warehouse app using a PC, tablet or mobile phone (Android, iOS). Registration via: https://biodiv-atlas.de/fische/#!/home.
Editorial office
Working Ggroup “Fish Species Atlas – Fish Fauna Online”
Background photo
Thornback ray Raja clavata – once common, now threatened with extinction in Germany due to overfishing. Photo: GfI (Heiko Brunken)