A Dataset of Deep-Sea Fishes Surveyed by Research Vessels in the Waters around Taiwan

Kwang-Tsao Shao

doi:10.15468/1ur6io

A Dataset of Deep-Sea Fishes Surveyed by Research Vessels in the Waters around Taiwan

Citation

Shao K, Lin J (2020). A Dataset of Deep-Sea Fishes Surveyed by Research Vessels in the Waters around Taiwan. Version 10.1. Taiwan Biodiversity Information Facility (TaiBIF). Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/1ur6io accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-12-13.

Description

The study of deep-sea fish fauna is hampered by a lack of data due to the difficulty and high cost incurred in its surveys and collections. Taiwan is situated along the edge of the Eurasia plate, at the junction of three Large Marine Ecosystems or Ecoregions of the East China Sea, South China Sea and the Philippines. As nearly two-thirds of its surrounding marine ecosystems are deep-sea environments, Taiwan is expected to hold a rich diversity of deep-sea fish. However, in the past, no research vessels were employed to collect fish data on site. Only specimens, caught by bottom trawl fishing in the waters hundreds of meters deep and missing precise locality information, were collected from Dasi and Donggang fishing harbors. Began in 2001, with the support of National Science Council, research vessels were made available to take on the task of systematically collecting deep-sea fish specimens and occurrence records in the waters surrounding Taiwan. By the end of 2006, a total of 3,653 specimens, belonging to 26 orders, 88 families, 198 genera and 366 species, were collected in addition to data such as sampling site geographical coordinates and water depth, and fish body length and weight. The information, all accessible from the “Database of Taiwan’s Deep-Sea Fauna and Its Distribution (http://deepsea.biodiv.tw/)” as part of the “Fish Database of Taiwan,” can benefit the study of temporal and spatial changes in distribution and abundance of fish fauna in the context of global deep-sea biodiversity.

Sampling Description

Study Extent

The surveys were carried out from 2001 to 2006 in waters off northeastern Taiwan (Okinawa Trough), eastern Taiwan, southeastern Taiwan (Western Pacific) and southwestern Taiwan (South China Sea).

Sampling

The research vessels used were “R/V Fishery Researcher I,” “R/V Ocean Researcher I” and “R/V Ocean researcher III.” Constrained by limited cable length, the maximum depth sampled was 4,460 meters. Major equipment used were otter trawl, French type beam trawl of 4 m span, ORE type beam trawl of 3 m span and Isaacs-Kidd midwater trawl (IKMT). Once the nets reached the sea bottom, they were towed for one hour at a ground speed of 1.5-2.5 knot for otter trawls and 1.0-1.5 knot for others.

Quality Control

All the scientific names of fish samples were validated by the updated fish checklist in the “Fish Database of Taiwan” or TaiCOL (http://col.taibif.tw; formerly TaiBNET, http://taibnet.sinica.edu.tw) before they were entered into database. Afterward, they were validated again by matching against FishBase and Catalog of Fishes, California Academy of Sciences for further correction. If a specimen was rare or it might belong to an undescribed or new species, it was photographed in fresh and then both the specimen and its tissue sample were catalogued and deposited at the Biodiversity Research Museum of Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica (ASIZP of BRCAS). The latitude and longitude of trawling routes were plotted on Google Maps and outlier detection was conducted.

Method steps

Step1: Sampling locality and water depth were recorded. Step2: Specimens were roughly classified and counted either right on board or when they reached the shore. Step3: Specimens were shipped back to the lab for species identification, body length and weight measurement, and picture taking. Step4: Specimens were fixed in 10% Neutral Buffered Formalin for one month. Next, they were cleaned with water and preserved in 70% alcohol.

Taxonomic Coverages

The coverage of this dataset includes Class Actinopterygii (3,496/3,653), Class Chondrichthyes (156/3,653) and Class Myxini (1/3,653). The top 10 orders are Gadiformes, Myctophiformes, Anguilliformes, Stomiiformes, Ophidiiformes, Pleuronectiformes, Argentiniformes, Perciformes, Beryciformes and Squaliformes. The top 10 families are Macrouridae, Myctophidae, Ophidiidae, Sternoptychidae, Cynoglossidae, Synaphobranchidae, Muraenesocidae, Gonostomatidae, Alepocephalidae and Neoscopelidae.

Animalia
rank: kingdom
Chordata
rank: phylum
Actinopterygii, Chondrichthyes, Myxini
rank: class
Albuliformes, Anguilliformes, Argentiniformes, Aulopiformes, Beryciformes, Carcharhiniformes, Chimaeriformes, Gadiformes, Gasterosteiformes, Gonorhynchiformes, Lamniformes, Lophiiformes, Myctophiformes, Myliobatiformes, Myxiniformes, Ophidiiformes, Perciformes, Pleuronectiformes, Rajiformes, Saccopharyngiformes, Scorpaeniformes, Squaliformes, Stephanoberyciformes, Stomiiformes, Tetraodontiformes, Torpediniformes
rank: order
Acropomatidae, Alepocephalidae, Aphyonidae, Aploactinidae, Bathyclupeidae, Bathylaconidae, Bothidae, Bramidae, Bregmacerotidae, Bythitidae, Callionymidae, Caristiidae, Centrophoridae, Cepolidae, Ceratiidae, Champsodontidae, Chaunacidae, Chiasmodontidae, Chimaeridae, Chlorophthalmidae, Colocongridae, Congridae, Cottidae, Cynoglossidae, Dalatiidae, Diretmidae, Ereuniidae, Etmopteridae, Eurypharyngidae, Gempylidae, Gonorynchidae, Gonostomatidae, Halosauridae, Himantolophidae, Hoplichthyidae, Ipnopidae, Linophrynidae, Lophiidae, Macrouridae, Melamphaidae, Melanocetidae, Melanonidae, Microstomatidae, Moridae, Muraenesocidae, Muraenidae, Myctophidae, Myxinidae, Nemichthyidae, Neoscopelidae, Nettastomatidae, Nomeidae, Notacanthidae, Ogcocephalidae, Oneirodidae, Ophichthidae, Ophidiidae, Ostracoberycidae, Paralepididae, Paralichthyidae, Percichthyidae, Percophidae, Peristediidae, Phosichthyidae, Poecilopsettidae, Priacanthidae, Pseudocarchariidae, Rajidae, Rondeletiidae, Scopelarchidae, Scorpaenidae, Scyliorhinidae, Serrivomeridae, Sparidae, Squalidae, Sternoptychidae, Stomiidae, Synaphobranchidae, Syngnathidae, Synodontidae, Tetraodontidae, Torpedinidae, Trachichthyidae, Triacanthodidae, Trichiuridae, Triglidae, Urolophidae, Zoarcidae
rank: family

Geographic Coverages

Seas around Taiwan.

Bibliographic Citations

Contacts

Kwang-Tsao Shao
originator
position: Research Fellow
Biodiversity Research Center Academia Sinica, Taiwan
No. 128, Sec. 2, Academia Rd. Nankang, Taipei, TAIWAN, R.O.C.
Taipei
115
Taiwan
TW
Telephone: 886-2-27887330 ext 200
email: zoskt@gate.sinica.edu.tw
homepage: http://fishdb.sinica.edu.tw/eng/shao.php

Jack Lin
metadata author
position: Software Engineer
Biodiversity Research Center Academia Sinica, Taiwan
No. 128, Sec. 2, Academia Rd. Nankang, Taipei, TAIWAN, R.O.C.
Taipei
115
Taiwan
TW
Telephone: 886-2-27899579
email: jacklin@gate.sinica.edu.tw

Hsin-Ming Yeh
content provider
position: Research Fellow
Coastal and Offshore Resources Research Center, Fisheries Research Institute, COA
Coastal and Offshore Resources Research Center, Fisheries Research Institute, COA, No.6, Yugang N. 3rd Rd., Qianzhen Dist., 806, Kaohsiung City, TAIWAN
Kaohsiung
80672
Taiwan
TW
email: hmingyeh@gmail.com

Kwang-Tsao Shao
administrative point of contact
position: Research Fellow
Biodiversity Research Center Academia Sinica, Taiwan
No. 128, Sec. 2, Academia Rd. Nankang, Taipei, TAIWAN, R.O.C.
Taipei
115
Taiwan
TW
Telephone: 886-2-27887330 ext 200
email: zoskt@gate.sinica.edu.tw
homepage: http://fishdb.sinica.edu.tw/eng/shao.php