The Pacific Community (SPC) has just released PacFishID, a new mobile application for learning how to recognise Pacific marine fish species. Just like Tails, a catch-data collection application launched by SPC last year, this app uses technology to improve resource management.
The first dataset available on PacFishID is based on SPC’s recently published Identification guide to the common coastal food fishes of the Pacific Islands region. This guide was initially produced to facilitate the work of fisheries officers during market and landing surveys. But the number of copies downloaded since its publication shows that it has reached a far wider audience.
The fun-to-use app works offline once the data and pictures have been downloaded and contains detailed information on marine species classified by family.
Each fact sheet shows a species’ identification keys, maximum size and the Pacific countries or territories where its presence or absence is either scientifically confirmed or probable.
Users can test their fish-name knowledge with the quiz function’s progressive multiple-choice test that gets harder as the number of right answers increases.
The app is available at:
Apple Store https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pacfishid/id1238553695?mt=8
Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=spc.pacfishid&hl=en
and Windows Store https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/p/pacfishid/9nvg3dkqj0th
It is currently available in English only, but a French version is in the making.
The app will be upgraded with more datasets including offshore and aquarium fish, invertebrates, marine mammals, sea turtles and seabirds.