About this website
This website was developed by the OFCF Japan and IOTC secretariat under a project launched in 2024 called “WEB based tool development for identification of IOTC species.”
The aim was to provide WEB available tools facilitate samplers, enumerators and observers to identify speceis reated to Indian Ocean Tuna Committee.
This website integrates all information useful for species identification, including links to smartphone available tool and YouTube channel related to IOTC target species identification.
Else from OFCF Japan and IOTC secretariat, several institutes, organizations and individuals cooperated in the developement of this website and related WEB tools. We express thanks to them in the acknowledement below.
Note that the website is developed runned by the finacial support of Janpanese Government.
Reference
Nakabo, T. ed. 2013
(In Japanese)
Fishes of Japan with pictorial keys to the species. Tokai University Press, Tokyo.
Utilized for developing the species identification app. for scombridae species.
Itano,D.G. 2013.
Handbooks for the identification of yellowfin and bigeye tunas in (a) Fresh, (b) Frozen and (c) Fresh but Less than Ideal Condition - English version (Revised on 30Apr2013)
Acknowledgement
"ID tool for IOTC tuna and tuna-like species"
Dr. Nakabo Testuji
Dr. David Itano
Seychelles Fishing Auhority
The National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA)
The Fishery Survey of India (FSI)
Dr. Nakabo provided scientific advice on developing the species identification flow.
Dr. Itano provided base information on the morphological keys to identify Yellowfin tuna and Bigeye tuna
Seychelles Fishing Auhority have cooperated to implement the first test of "ID tool for IOTC tuna and tuna-like species" in July 2024.
NARA have cooperated to implement the second test of "ID tool for IOTC tuna and tuna-like species" in Dec. 2024.
FSI have cooperated to implement the third test of "ID tool for IOTC tuna and tuna-like species" in Sep. 2025.
"IOTC species photo library"
FRA
FRA provided photos of fishes since Jan. 2025
The Kagoshima University Museum
Special thanks to Prof. Hiroyuki Motomura, who had provided the photo database collected by The Kagoshima Univeristy Museum. Several photos from this database is utilized in the "Characteristic of species page".
The National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA)
NARA have cooperated to provide species identified fish photos on Aug. 2025.
The Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DFAR)
DFAR have cooperated to provide species identified fish photos on Nov. 2025.
Cooperating organization
Several organization are supporting the development of the website, YouTube, ID tool (App) by providing supervision on scientific aspects or providing species identified photos of the target species.
