Fish Otolith and Scale Collection for Age Determination from Market and Research Sampling

A collection of fish otoliths (ear bones) and scales, which are hard structures used for determining fish age. The samples were gathered from market sampling, research and commercial vessel cruises, and tagged fish recaptures. The dataset is provided by the Government Digital Service via the eu_open_data platform.

Use Cases

• Training age prediction models based on otolith morphology and scale patterns.
• Validating fish stock assessment models using physical age reference samples.
• Conducting comparative studies of aging structures across different fish species.
• Analyzing growth patterns from samples linked to tagged fish recaptures.

Strengths

• Contains physical samples of otoliths and scales, which are direct evidence for age determination.
• Samples originate from multiple sources including market sampling, research cruises, and commercial vessels.
• Includes both spare otoliths in packets and sectioned otoliths mounted on slides.

Limitations

• Row count, file formats, and column-level documentation are unknown, limiting suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality and completeness require manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

Government Digital Service

Collection Method

Samples collected from market sampling, research and commercial vessel cruises, and tagged fish recaptures.

Time Range

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Freshness

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Geography

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