Sources and references

What the data in this book are based on

The credibility of an encyclopedia depends on the reliability of its sources. Each species sheet in this book carries, at the bottom of the page, a traceability line referring to the references below. No size, weight, status or scientific name data has been invented: where information was missing from a reliable source, the field was marked to be checked rather than filled in.

Databases and scientific references

FishBase. Froese, R. & Pauly, D. (eds). FishBase, the global reference database on fishes (www.fishbase.org). Main source for the taxonomy, sizes, weights and biology of the species.

IUCN Red List. International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (www.iucnredlist.org). Source of the conservation statuses cited.

FAO. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Species identification catalogues, in particular Fishes of the Eastern Central Atlantic (CECAF), Scombrids of the World and the FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes.

ICCAT. International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas. Management and stock data for Atlantic large pelagics.

IRD. French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development. Studies on fisheries and lagoon and coastal ecosystems in West Africa.

CRO Abidjan. Oceanographic Research Centre of Abidjan. National fisheries research on the coast and lagoons of Côte d’Ivoire.

Ouattara A., Doumbia L., Shep H., Gourène G., 2016. Principales espèces de poissons marins de Côte d’Ivoire. “Faune aquatique” series, Université Nangui Abrogoua, with the Ministry of Animal and Fisheries Resources (Directorate of Aquaculture and Fisheries) and UEMOA. Illustrated document giving the local or commercial name used in Côte d’Ivoire for about 90 marine species; source of the Ivorian local names in the sheets.

Regulatory texts

Law No. 2016-554 of 26 July 2016. On fisheries and aquaculture, Republic of Côte d’Ivoire (FAOLEX, faolex.fao.org).

MIRAH. Ministry of Animal and Fishery Resources of Côte d’Ivoire (ressourcesanimales.gouv.ci). Annual orders on biological rest periods, legal sizes and protected species.

A note on the data Size, weight and maturity values are fishing benchmarks, not absolute certainties. A fish may exceed the known maximum size; a conservation status may be reassessed. In case of doubt, the most recent primary source prevails.