Sea Around Us Project - Relative pelagic fish abundance inferred from commercial catch data, Western Australia (1997-2006) (NESP MB D1)

This dataset describes the relative abundance of an assemblage of commercially exploited pelagic fishes around Western Australia, mapped over a 30 arc-minute (0.5 degree) spatial grid. The data cover the period 1997-2006 and are derived from an analysis of commercial landings available through the Sea Around Us Project (http://www.seaaroundus.org/). Further details can be found in the following peer-reviewed publication: Bouchet PJ, Meeuwig JJ, Huang Z, Letessier TBL, Nichol SL, Caley MJ, Watson RA. 2017. Continental-scale hotspots of pelagic fish abundance inferred from commercial catch records. Global Ecology and Biogeography. DOI: 10.1111/geb.12619

Below is a full list of species considered, with their respective contributions to the total catch (%):

Greenback horse mackerel / Trachurus declivis -- 10.92 % Greater amberjack / Seriola dumerili -- 0.05 % Samson fish / Seriola hippos -- 0.01 % Silver gemfish / Rexea solandri -- 2.80 % Snoek / Thyrsites atun -- 1.22 % Indo-Pacific blue marlin / Makaira mazara -- 2.87 % Striped marlin / Tetrapturus audax -- 0.26 % Black marlin / Makaira indica -- 0.17 % Indo-Pacific sailfish / Istiophorus platypterus -- 0.06 % Shortbill spearfish / Tetrapturus angustirostris -- 0.00 % Bluefish / Pomatomus saltatrix -- 0.13 % Southern bluefin tuna / Thunnus maccoyii -- 19.17 % Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel / Scomberomorus commerson -- 16.93 % Skipjack tuna / Katsuwonus pelamis -- 9.82 % Yellowfin tuna / Thunnus albacares -- 9.40 % Bigeye tuna / Thunnus obesus -- 7.67 % Albacore tuna / Thunnus alalunga -- 4.16 % Longtail tuna / Thunnus tonggol -- 0.78 % Kawakawa (mackerel tuna) / Euthynnus affinis -- 0.56 % Wahoo / Acanthocybium solandri -- 0.01 % Great barracuda / Sphyraena barracuda -- 0.25 % Tope shark / Galeorhinus galeus -- 6.66 % Swordfish / Xiphias gladius -- 6.09 %