Groundfish Survey and Species Codes

The Species Code listings given in this manual are the most complete and correct copies of the RACE Division’s central Species Code database, as of: May 2019. This manual replaces all previous Species Code book versions. The source of these listings is a single Species Code table maintained at the AFSC, Seattle. This source table, started during the 1950’s, now includes approximately 2651 marine taxa from Pacific Northwest and Alaskan waters. The Species Code book is a listing of codes used for fishes and invertebrates identified in RACE division surveys. It is not a comprehensive list of all taxa potentially available to the surveys nor a hierarchical taxonomic key. It is a linear listing of codes applied to individual catch records. Specifically, a code assigned to a genus or higher refers to animals identified only to that level. It does not include animals identified to lower levels listed under other codes. An individual specimen is only represented once by any one code. The Code listing is periodically reviewed by RACE staff to ensure its accuracy and standardization. Names used are those established by general usage in the scientific community, using the following published resources: Names of Fishes (AFS, 2004), Names of Decapod Crustaceans (AFS, 1989), Names of Mollusks (AFS, 1988, 1998), Names of Cnidaria and Ctenophora (AFS, 1991), and the most recent Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) database (http://www.itis.usda.gov/) and World Register of Marine Species (http://www.marinespecies.org/) database. Names used in this Code list may differ on the basis of the most recent research. No subspecies will be included in the Species Code List. Previous species code assignments may become obsolete because taxa are no longer recorded in the database (for example, because of reidentifications of vouchered specimens or taxonomic reclassification). These codes are omitted from the present listings but are included in a separate table with the date of revision to the Species Code List. 2019 NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) AFSC (Alaska Fisheries Science Center) Submitted https://doi.org/10.25923/h280-f805 Public Domain 1861 Superseded