Kimberley Marine Fish Records from 1880 to 2009 with 1,475 Species

8,326 specimen-based records and thousands of visual records document 1,475 shallow water marine fish species from 135 families in the Kimberley region of north-west Australia. The data, synthesised from museum databases and published by Parks Australia, covers collections made between 1880 and 2009. It highlights pronounced differences between inshore and offshore fish communities, with offshore atolls having high diversity and inshore reefs supporting more endemic species.

Use Cases

• Analyze species distribution patterns based on records from 123 broad localities.
• Study biodiversity and endemicity differences between inshore and offshore reef communities.
• Model historical baselines for fish populations to inform conservation management decisions.
• Investigate taxonomic composition and family-level diversity across the continental shelf.

Strengths

• Substantial temporal coverage spanning 129 years from 1880 to 2009.
• Large species inventory of 1,475 identified species from 135 families.
• Combines 8,326 specimen-based records with thousands of reliable visual records.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data freshness should be verified as the last metadata update is 2026-07-16.

Provenance

Source

Parks Australia, synthesising museum records and a source publication from the Western Australian Museum.

Collection Method

Compilation and synthesis of museum specimen records and visual observations.

Time Range

1880 to 2009

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-16 23:06:34.042161; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Kimberley region, north-west Australia