The
Calypso Ichthyological Database
Calypso's ichthyological
database has been designed to facilitate the international identification of all
recorded fish species throughout the world using a unique ' Species
Number' for each recorded species which can then be used in all current and all
future publications and reference works . Facilities exist to
cross-reference this system with all current systems that are both working in a
limited sphere, or only partially working at present.. Most current systems have
been designed exclusively for commercial fisheries use. Our system is
designed for total and general use. Where possible the data is entered in a
simple-to-understand formulation reducing the users' necessity to be conversant
with a vast range of technical terminology and nomenclature.
One has to start somewhere - we started in the
Mediterranean simply because our knowledge of the species of this area exceeded
our initial abilities in other areas. The database has now been expanded.
The information on the database is published in many forms and can also be
modified to individual requirements if so wished.
Primarily we are publishing the information as booklets and guides as well as
multilingual indexes and Taxonomic disks, for both the specialist and lay
markets. When the technical problems of getting our full-colour photo-library
onto CD have been overcome we shall also be publishing a series of colour
illustrated C.D's
(1)
SPECIES NUMBERING
Although the numbering system in itself, is not
primarily designed to carry retrievable information some useful points can
be gleaned from it if certain concepts of the system are known to the reader. It
must clearly be emphasized however that the material extracted in this way is
not to be construed as totally accurate and is only intended as a rough
guide.(The full database should always be checked in addition to the information
extracted in this fashion).
The Ichthyological Database Code is divisible into two sets of three numbers and
information may be extracted by examining the first set of three numbers which
will always commence with the numbers 0 or 9.
Numbers commencing with 0 represent
primarily marine species.
Numbers commencing with 9 represent primarily freshwater species.
The second of
the three numbers will indicate the approximate geographic area from which the
species originates. These numbers will give differing information depending on
whether the first number was 0 or 9. If a 0 then this will denote a sea
area whereas if a 9 this will denote a continental area.
For
Example;
For the first two numbers, areas are designated as follows:
01- , Primarily Mediterranean/Black Sea
91-, Southern Europe
02- , Primarily European North Atlantic
92-, Europe
03-, Primarily North American/Canadian/Arctic
93-, North America
04-, Primarily East African/Red Sea / Persian Gulf
94-, Africa
05-, Primarily West African/Central Atlantic
95-, Middle-East **
06-, Primarily Caribbean/S.E. U.S.A.
96-, Caribbean / S.E. U.S.A.
07-, Primarily South American/S.W.Atlantic
97-, South America
08-, Primarily Australian/Southern Ocean
98-, Australasia
09 -, Primarily Pacific/Indian Ocean
99-, Asia
** Area 95-, Includes: Turkey, Central Asia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, The
Gulf States, Lebanon and Israel
The third number of either of the above two
series is a check digit to ensure that where the succeeding group of three
numbers have been issued more than once - but in different areas, that
they cannot be confused when both species carrying the succeeding three numbers
are also present in the same area or publications covering that area.
For example.
Should Species No. 910 099 have been issued the 099 suffix cannot be immediately
preceded by a 0 for any other species subsequently designated an 099 coding. The
next species would be designated -11 099 if it were a native of the same area,
or -21 099 or -31 099 etc.if it was allocated a species number from these
respective different areas. The next ,(or third time )issue of an 099 suffix
would produce a -12, -22 or -32 prefix. This enables one, by checking the third
digit to ascertain on how many previous occasions any one three digit suffix
number has been issued.
We have sufficient free space in the database species numbering system to
uniquely number all recorded species to date.
TEMPORARY
DATABASE NUMBERS
Where
a species name is available but the validity of that particular species or sub
species is open to doubt
or may shortly be altered we issue temporary database numbers.
The temporary numbers have been allocated unique prefixes to differentiate
between
them and the permanently allocated database number. These three digit prefixes
will all be within the following group:-
222
333
444
555
666
777
888
0r 999
No significance can be attached to these number groups
..
4. Shortage of numbering capacity
Should more room be required the major prefixes in
turn will be additionally prefixed
without changing the unique originally designated species number.
Many species will be present in more than one of the designated
geographical areas. They will only be given one Species Number and
publications on a specific area will then not necessarily carry the species
content in numerical sequence if they are edited in taxonomic or biological
sequence.
SUFFIXES
Suffixes to the Species Numbers will be used in certain publications to convey
additional information. ie. X and XX were used in the ' Mediterranean Fishes'
series (2nd. Editions -pre 1997)to denote late additions out of biological
sequence, and immigrating Red Sea Species respectively. T is used in the 'Asian
Fishes' series. These suffixes are omitted when species are resequenced
correctly.
(2)
LANGUAGES
Each area covered by a Major Prefix will have all recorded species indexed in
twelve local and/or internationally used languages, two of which will always be
Latin and English. A dodecalingual or multilingual index for each of these
areas will be published referenced in Latin and English.
The full database may hold many more listed languages ( up to a maximum of
thirty) for a particular species and is also capable of recording all of the
names of a particular species in all of the countries in which it may occur.
All languages are recorded using accepted European alphabetic
characters
(3)
UPDATING SYSTEM
The
database itself is constantly updated on a daily basis. All technical and
looseleaf publications issued using database information carry an integral free
updating service within their original purchase price, and batches of
information for the purchasers of this information are despatched at frequent
intervals. It is essential in this respect that the registration forms supplied
with such publications
are completed and returned to Calypso otherwise purchasers will not be receiving
their revised information packages. It is not possible to update the bound
books, whose status will be reviewed annually to determine whether revisions or
new editions need to be prepared
(4) SPECIES INFORMATION
In
addition to other categories, information is stored on each species in the
following units:-
Database Species No.
Accurate line illustrations / colour and monochrome photographs : (Up to five in
each category)
Current Latin Name./Family/Reference.
Previously used Synonym/s (if any) for genus,species and family: (normally up to
six)
English name/s: (normally up to four)
Distribution Frequency.
Size. Average/Maximum.
Dorsal arrays.
Dorsal ray count.
Anal ray count
Lateral line count
Geographic Range.
Maximum recorded age.
Breeding season.
Specific Features
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
Basic colouration.
References within FAO literature
References within OECD literature.
The colloquial names of each species are also recorded in as many of the
following list of languages as are available:
(LISTS
MAY NOT FOLLOW THE SEQUENCE GIVEN BELOW)
Latin, English, American, French, Spanish,
Portuguese, Italian,Greek, Turkish, Lebanese, Israeli, German, Serbo-Croat,
Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Polish ,Romanian, Bulgarian,
Albanian, Arabic, Moroccan, Tunisian, Maltese, Cypriot, Japanese, Russian,
Algerian & Icelandic -in addition to others for certain wide-ranging
species.
Other Asian languages are presently being added to the and when completed these
will include the following represented in a western European alphabet.
Sindhi, Urdu, Baluchi, Tamil, Hindi, Cantonese, Malay
Local and National Australian and New Zealand names have also been added
during the construction of database areas 08-and 98-.
U.S.
Colloquial names are being incorporated into the Caribbean, North-Western
and Central Western Atlantic databases
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