A global dataset of migratory fishes and biogeochemical tagging studies

This dataset provides a harmonized global evidence base for the study of migratory fishes using biogeochemical tagging. It integrates three complementary components: (i) a curated bibliographic inventory of migratory fish studies employing biogeochemical tags, (ii) a standardized global checklist of migratory fish species with taxonomic, ecological, and conservation attributes, and (iii) a thematic classification of research objectives across the published literature. Together, these components enable systematic assessment of research coverage, taxonomic and geographic biases, and thematic patterns in migratory fish biogeochemical studies.The bibliographic component (Appendix Table S1) comprises 1,305 studies published between 1973 and 2023. Each record includes a persistent study identifier derived from Semantic Scholar, full publication metadata (title, abstract, keywords, year, journal, DOI), and standardized references. This table provides the foundation for quantifying research effort, temporal trends, and publication patterns in the application of biogeochemical tags to migratory fishes.The species component (Appendix Table S2) contains a global checklist of 3,222 migratory fish species, spanning agnathan, chondrichthyan, and osteichthyan lineages. For each species, the dataset records taxonomic hierarchy, scientific authorship, habitat classification, geographic occurrence (using ISO3 country codes for inland systems and FAO major fishing area codes for marine systems), IUCN threatened category, and commercial importance. Migratory behavior is standardized into discrete migratory categories (e.g., potamodromous, anadromous, catadromous, amphidromous, oceanodromous) through systematic cross-referencing across multiple authoritative sources, including GROMS, IUCN, CMS, regional migration databases, and Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes. Parallel fields retain source-specific migratory classifications, allowing transparent comparison among databases and identification of concordance or disagreement in migratory status assignments.The thematic component (Appendix Table S3) links the bibliographic inventory to research objectives by assigning each study to a primary theme and one or more secondary themes. Thematic assignments are supported by short rationales derived from titles and abstracts and are accompanied by confidence scores (high, medium, low) to reflect classification certainty. This structure enables reproducible analysis of how inferential priorities, methodological emphases, and application domains have evolved through time.By integrating study-level metadata, species-level migratory attributes, and thematic classifications within a unified framework, the dataset supports reproducible synthesis of global research patterns, identification of structural gaps in taxonomic and geographic coverage, and alignment of biological monitoring demand with existing evidence. It is intended for use in biodiversity assessments, fisheries and water-security research, meta-analyses, and the development of interoperable monitoring and baseline infrastructures for migratory fishes.