DOI: 10.5683/sp3/0yfjed
title: Pelagic Species Trait Database

description: &lt;p&gt;The Pelagic Species Trait Database serves as a valuable resource aimed at fostering research, collaboration, and data synthesis within ocean science. We ask researchers and students to engage with us as they explore its potential applications. Please reach out (stephanie.green@ualberta.ca) to discuss collaboration opportunities and data integration.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Biological traits are increasingly used to characterize predator-prey interactions within changing ecosystems. When combined, a suite of traits are useful to describe diet selection or prey guilds based on functional role to better predict interactions within ecological communities, especially in the scope of global change. In particular, habitat, behavior, morphology, and nutritional quality are important traits that can affect prey vulnerability across different aspects of the predation process (encounter, attack, capture). Habitat use (e.g., water column position) and migration behaviors impact encounter rates through spatiotemporal overlap, and schooling behavior can deter or facilitate predator attack. Morphological traits such as body shape and physical defenses influence the costs of prey capture, while body size affects consumption for gape-limited predators, and relative eye, fin or appendage size can influence predator detection and evasion. Nutritional quality traits also mediate prey selection since predators select prey items in a manner that maximizes energy gain while minimizing energy expenditure. Nutritional quality varies not only among species but also within species, reflecting geographic, seasonal, interannual, and longer-scale changes in environmental conditions.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Understanding how species will interact with one another is important for predicting how ecological systems and services will be altered by forces such as climate change and biological invasions. Trait-based approaches focus on the mechanistic drivers of ecological interactions and are emerging as a useful method for predicting variability in species distributions, community structures, and population dynamics under global change (Green et al. 2022). Further, identifying traits that recur across unrelated prey taxa offer a means to better anticipate predator resource use by simplifying complex foraging dynamics (Hardy et al. accepted). Assembling comprehensive databases of traits for biological communities facilitates ecological modeling of future species abundances, distributions, and food web structures (Green et al. 2022). &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;This database contains traits for adults, juveniles, and larvae of 529 pelagic fish and invertebrate species found worldwide. Traits included describe 1) habitat use and behavior, 2) morphology and morphometrics, 3) nutritional quality (lipid, protein, energy density), and 4) population status information. The database was specifically created for its application in multi-facetted ecological modeling occurring in the California Current system (CCS) located within the NE Pacific Ocean. Therefore, species in the database are primarily from the CCS and broader NE Pacific Ocean to encompass both known prey and potential prey for pelagic predators (Hardy et al. accepted) (given anticipated future shifts in species distributions). Globally important pelagic species known to be consumed by top ocean predators that are found in both the NE Pacific and other ocean basins (NW Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Mediterranean) are also included to promote the use of trait-based approaches in marine ecosystems and predator populations worldwide. Detailed protocols are provided for trait data collection to serve as a framework for the expansion of this database in the future for other systems and predators.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The database is released under a CC-BY-NC license permitting reuse for non-commercial purposes with citation of this database, the data descriptor publication (Gleiber et al. in review) and any original sources, when possible. Users are requested to provide contact information prior to downloading to ensure updated versions are distributed to the user community, as well as enable solicitation of feedback from the community on the database design for user accessibility. New versions of the database will be released as data gaps are filled and values are updated using the methods described above.&lt;/p&gt;
description: Future Albacore Diet and Distribution (FADD)
description: Species in the database: Abralia redfieldi, Abralia trigonura, Abraliopsis affinis, Abraliopsis felis, Abraliopsis gilchristi, Abraliopsis morisii, Acanthephyra pelagica, Acanthocybium solandri, Acanthurus triostegus, Achirus mazatlanus, Aegina citrea, Aequorea victoria, Agonopsis sterletus, Agonopsis vulsa, Ahliesaurus brevis, Albatrossia pectoralis, Alepisaurus ferox, Alloclinus holderi, Allosmerus elongatus, Alloteuthis subulata, Alopias vulpinus, Alosa sapidissima, Alpheus glaber, Amarsipus carlsbergi, Ammodytes hexapterus, Ammodytes personatus, Ammodytes tobianus, Ammodytoides gilli, Ammodytoides pylei, Anarrhichthys ocellatus, Anchylomera blossevillei, Ancistrocheirus lesueurii, Ancistroteuthis lichtensteinii, Anoplopoma fimbria, Anotopterus nikparini, Anotopterus pharao, Antigonia capros, Antimora rostrata, Arctozenus risso, Argentina sialis, Argonauta argo, Argonauta nodosus, Argonauta nouryi, Argyropelecus aculeatus, Argyropelecus hemigymnus, Argyropelecus olfersii, Argyropelecus sladeni, Aristostomias scintillans, Arnoglossus imperialis, Ateleopus natalensis, Atheresthes stomias, Atherinops affinis, Atherinopsis californiensis, Atlanta peronii, Atylus tridens, Aurelia aurita, Aurelia labiata, Avocettina infans, Axius stirynchus, Balistes punctatus, Barathronus parfaiti, Bathophilus flemingi, Bathyagonus nigripinnis, Bathyagonus pentacanthus, Bathylagoides wesethi, Bathyraja interrupta, Belone belone, Bentheogennema burkenroadi, Benthosema glaciale, Beringraja binoculata, Beroe abyssicola, Beroe gracilis, Berryteuthis anonychus, Berryteuthis magister, Beryx splendens, Blennius ocellaris, Bolinopsis infundibulum, Boops boops, Bothrocara molle, Brachioteuthis riisei, Brachyscelus crusculum, Brachyscelus macrocephalus, Brama brama, Brama japonica, Brama orcini, Bregmaceros mcclellandi, Calanus finmarchicus, Cancer productus, Canthidermis maculata, Capros aper, Carinaria lamarckii, Caulolatilus princeps, Centrolophus niger, Ceratias tentaculatus, Ceratoscopelus maderensis, Ceratoscopelus townsendi, Ceratoscopelus warmingii, Chauliodus macouni, Cheilopogon pinnatibarbatus pinnatibarbatus, Chelophyes appendiculata, Chiasmodon niger, Chilara taylori, Chiroteuthis calyx, Chiroteuthis veranii, Chlorophthalmus agassizi, Chromis punctipinnis, Chrysaora colorata, Chrysaora fuscescens, Chrysaora melanaster, Chtenopteryx sicula, Citharichthys sordidus, Citharichthys stigmaeus, Clausocalanus furcatus, Clinocottus acuticeps, Clio pyramidata, Clione antarctica, Clione limacina, Clupea pallasii, Cololabis saira, Congriscus megastoma, Cookeolus japonicus, Corolla spectabilis, Coryphaena hippurus, Cosmocalanus darwinii darwinii, Cranchia scabra, Crangon nigricauda, Cubiceps capensis, Cubiceps gracilis, Cubiceps pauciradiatus, Cyanea capillata, Cymatogaster aggregata, Cyphocaris faurei, Dactyloptena orientalis, Decapterus macarellus, Dasyscopelus asper, Decapterus macrosoma, Desmodema lorum, Desmodema polystictum, Diaphus effulgens, Diaphus lucidus, Diaphus luetkeni, Diaphus ostenfeldi, Diaphus perspicillatus, Diaphus theta, Diplodus sargus, Diplospinus multistriatus, Diretmus argenteus, Doryteuthis opalescens, Dosidicus gigas, Echinosquilla guerinii, Electrona risso, Eledone cirrhosa, Embassichthys bathybius, Engraulis capensis, Engraulis encrasicolus, Engraulis japonicus, Engraulis mordax, Entelurus aequoreus, Entosphenus tridentatus, Eopsetta jordani, Eptatretus stoutii, Eucleoteuthis luminosa, Euphausia gibboides, Euphausia mutica, Euphausia pacifica, Euphausia recurva, Eusergestes arcticus, Eusergestes similis, Eutrigla gurnardus, Fabia subquadrata, Farranula gibbula, Funchalia taaningi, Funchalia woodwardi, Gadus chalcogrammus, Gadus macrocephalus, Gaidropsarus vulgaris, Galeorhinus galeus, Galiteuthis armata, Galiteuthis phyllura, Gasterosteus aculeatus, Gempylus serpens, Gennadas elegans, Genyonemus lineatus, Glyptocephalus zachirus, Gnathophis cinctus, Gonatopsis borealis, Gonatus berryi, Gonatus californiensis, Gonatus onyx, Gonatus pyros, Gonatus steenstrupi, Grimalditeuthis bonplandi, Halichoeres nicholsi, Haliphron atlanticus, Helicocranchia pfefferi, Helicolenus dactylopterus, Hemilepidotus hemilepidotus, Hemilepidotus spinosus, Heterocarpus laevigatus, Heteroteuthis (Heteroteuthis) dispar, Hippoglossina stomata, Hippoglossoides elassodon, Histioteuthis bonnellii, Histioteuthis heteropsis, Histioteuthis meleagroteuthis, Histioteuthis reversa, Holmesimysis sculpta, Hormiphora cucumis, Hyaloteuthis pelagica, Hydrolagus colliei, Hygophum hygomii, Hygophum reinhardtii, Hyperia galba, Hypomesus pretiosus, Icichthys lockingtoni, Icosteus aenigmaticus, Idiacanthus antrostomus, Idotea metallica, Illex argentinus, Illex coindetii, Isopsetta isolepis, Janicella spinicauda, Janthina exigua, Japetella diaphana, Japetella heathi, Katsuwonus pelamis, Lactoria diaphana, Lagocephalus lagocephalus, Lamna ditropis, Lampadena luminosa, Lampadena urophaos, Lampanyctodes hectoris, Lampanyctus alatus, Lampanyctus crocodilus, Lampanyctus intricarius, Lampanyctus regalis, Lampanyctus ritteri, Lampris guttatus, Lanceola sayana, Leachia pacifica, Lepidocybium flavobrunneum, Lepidogobius lepidus, Lepidopsetta bilineata, Leptocotis tenuirostris, Leptocottus armatus, Lestidiops ringens, Lestidiops similis, Lestidiops sphyrenoides, Lestrolepis intermedia, Leuroglossus schmidti, Leuroglossus stilbius, Liocranchia reinhardtii, Liparis fucensis, Liparis pulchellus, Lipolagus ochotensis, Lobianchia gemellarii, Lycenchelys crotalinus, Lycodapus fierasfer, Lycodapus mandibularis, Lycodes cortezianus, Lycodes pacificus, Lycoteuthis lorigera, Lyopsetta exilis, Lysiosquilla tredecimdentata, Macroparalepis affinis, Macroramphosus gracilis, Macroramphosus scolopax, Magnisudis atlantica, Makaira mazara, Malacosteus niger, Mallotus villosus, Mastigoteuthis dentata, Masturus lanceolatus, Maurolicus imperatorius, Maurolicus muelleri, Medialuna californiensis, Meganyctiphanes norvegica, Melamphaes lugubris, Melanostomias valdiviae, Merluccius productus, Metacarcinus magister, Metacarcinus oregonensis, Microgadus proximus, Micromesistius poutassou, Microstoma microstoma, Microstomus pacificus, Mola mola, Monacoa grimaldii, Mugil cephalus, Mullus barbatus barbatus, Munida quadrispina, Myctophum punctatum, Nansenia candida, Nansenia macrolepis, Natosquilla investigatoris, Nealotus tripes, Nematoscelis difficilis, Nematoscelis megalops, Nemichthys scolopaceus, Neoanchisquilla tuberculata, Neognathophausia gigas, Neognathophausia ingens, Neomysis rayii, Neotrypaea californiensis, Nesiarchus nasutus, Notoscopelus kroyeri, Notoscopelus resplendens, Nyctiphanes australis, Octopoteuthis deletron, Octopoteuthis nielseni, Octopoteuthis rugosa, Octopoteuthis sicula, Octopus bimaculatus, Octopus rubescens, Octopus vulgaris, Ocythoe tuberculata, Odontodactylus hansenii, Odontodactylus scyllarus, Odontopyxis trispinosa, Ommastrephes bartramii, Omosudis lowii, Oncorhynchus gorbuscha, Oncorhynchus keta, Oncorhynchus kisutch, Oncorhynchus mykiss, Oncorhynchus nerka, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, Onychoteuthis banksii, Onychoteuthis borealijaponica, Onykia loennbergii, Onykia robusta, Ophichthus zophochir, Ophidion scrippsae, Ophiodon elongatus, Opisthoteuthis californiana, Oplophorus typus, Ornithoteuthis antillarum, Ornithoteuthis volatilis, Ostracion cubicum, Oxylebius pictus, Palinurus mauritanicus, Pandalus jordani, Pandalus platyceros, Paralepis coregonoides, Paralepis speciosa, Paralichthys californicus, Parapasiphae sulcatifrons, Parapronoe crustulum, Parophrys vetulus, Parribacus antarcticus, Pasiphaea pacifica, Peprilus simillimus, Periphylla periphylla, Peristedion gracile, Phacellophora camtschatica, Photonectes margarita, Phronima sedentaria, Phrosina semilunata, Platichthys stellatus, Platyscelus armatus, Platyscelus ovoides, Platyscelus serratulus, Plectobranchus evides, Pleurobrachia bachei, Pleurobrachia pileus, Pleuroncodes planipes, Pleuronichthys coenosus, Pleuronichthys decurrens, Pleuronichthys verticalis, Podothecus accipenserinus, Polybius henslowii, Polycheria osborni, Porichthys notatus, Poromitra crassiceps, Primno macropa, Prionace glauca, Protomyctophum crockeri, Psenes pellucidus, Psettichthys melanostictus, Pseudevadne tergestina, Pseudobathylagus milleri, Psychrolutes phrictus, Pteroctopus tetracirrhus, Pteroplatytrygon violacea, Pterycombus petersii, Pterygioteuthis gemmata, Pterygioteuthis giardi, Pterygioteuthis microlampas, Pyrosoma atlanticum, Pyroteuthis margaritifera, Raja rhina, Ranzania laevis, Rexea prometheoides, Rhamphocottus richardsonii, Rhinogobiops nicholsii, Robustosergia robusta, Ronquilus jordani, Rossia pacifica, Salpa maxima, Sarda chiliensis chiliensis, Sardina pilchardus, Sardinella aurita, Sardinops sagax, Scaeurgus unicirrhus, Scomber japonicus, Scomber scombrus, Scomberesox saurus saurus, Scombrolabrax heterolepis, Scopelarchus analis, Scopeloberyx robustus, Scopelogadus bispinosus, Scopelosaurus hoedti, Scorpaena guttata, Scorpaenichthys marmoratus, Scyllarus arctus, Sebastes aleutianus, Sebastes alutus, Sebastes auriculatus, Sebastes aurora, Sebastes babcocki, Sebastes brevispinis, Sebastes caurinus, Sebastes chlorostictus, Sebastes crameri, Sebastes dallii, Sebastes diploproa, Sebastes elongatus, Sebastes emphaeus, Sebastes entomelas, Sebastes flavidus, Sebastes goodei, Sebastes helvomaculatus, Sebastes hopkinsi, Sebastes jordani, Sebastes levis, Sebastes maliger, Sebastes melanops, Sebastes melanostomus, Sebastes miniatus, Sebastes mystinus, Sebastes nigrocinctus, Sebastes ovalis, Sebastes paucispinis, Sebastes pinniger, Sebastes proriger, Sebastes rastrelliger, Sebastes reedi, Sebastes ruberrimus, Sebastes rufus, Sebastes saxicola, Sebastes semicinctus, Sebastes serranoides, Sebastes serriceps, Sebastes wilsoni, Sebastes zacentrus, Selene setapinnis, Sepietta oweniana, Seriola lalandi, Sphyraena argentea, Spirinchus starksi, Spirinchus thaleichthys, Spirula spirula, Spondyliosoma cantharus, Spongiobranchaea australis, Squalus acanthias, Squalus suckleyi, Stenobrachius leucopsarus, Sternoptyx diaphana, Sternoptyx obscura, Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis, Stigmatoteuthis dofleini, Stigmatoteuthis hoylei, Stomias atriventer, Streetsia challengeri, Strongylura exilis, Stylocheiron abbreviatum, Sudis hyalina, Symbolophorus barnardi, Symbolophorus californiensis, Symbolophorus evermanni, Symphurus atricaudus, Syngnathus californiensis, Synodus lucioceps, Systellaspis debilis, Tactostoma macropus, Taningia danae, Taonius pavo, Taractes asper, Tarletonbeania crenularis, Tetragonurus atlanticus, Tetragonurus cuvieri, Tetronarce californica, Teuthowenia megalops, Thaleichthys pacificus, Themisto gaudichaudii, Thetys vagina, Thunnus alalunga, Thyrsitoides marleyi, Thysanoessa spinifera, Thysanoteuthis rhombus, Todarodes pacificus, Todarodes sagittatus, Todaropsis eblanae, Trachinotus ovatus, Trachipterus altivelis, Trachipterus fukuzakii, Trachipterus trachypterus, Trachurus japonicus, Trachurus symmetricus, Trachurus trachurus, Tremoctopus gracilis, Tremoctopus violaceus, Trichiurus lepturus, Triphoturus mexicanus, Vampyroteuthis infernalis, Vibilia gibbosa, Vinciguerria lucetia, Walvisteuthis rancureli, Xeneretmus latifrons, Zaniolepis frenata, Zaniolepis latipinnis, Zaprora silenus

Families in the database: Acanthephyridae, Acanthuridae, Achiridae, Aeginidae, Aequoreidae, Agonidae, Alepisauridae, Alloposidae, Alopiidae, Alpheidae, Amarsipidae, Ammodytidae, Amphitretidae, Anarhichadidae, Ancistrocheiridae, Anoplopomatidae, Anotopteridae, Aphyonidae, Argentinidae, Argonautidae, Arhynchobatidae, Ateleopodidae, Atherinidae, Atherinopsidae, Atlantidae, Atylidae, Axiidae, Balistidae, Bathylagidae, Bathymasteridae, Batrachoididae, Belonidae, Benthesicymidae, Beroidae, Berycidae, Blenniidae, Bolinopsidae, Bothidae, Brachioteuthidae, Brachyscelidae, Bramidae, Bregmacerotidae, Calanidae, Callianassidae, Cancridae, Caproidae, Carangidae, Carcharhinidae, Carinariidae, Centriscidae, Centrolophidae, Ceratiidae, Chiasmodontidae, Chimaeridae, Chiroteuthidae, Chlorophthalmidae, Chtenopterygidae, Clausocalanidae, Cliidae, Clionidae, Clupeidae, Congridae, Corycaeidae, Coryphaenidae, Cottidae, Cranchiidae, Crangonidae, Cyaneidae, Cymbuliidae, Cynoglossidae, Cyphocarididae, Dactylopteridae, Dasyatidae, Dexaminidae, Diphyidae, Diretmidae, Eledonidae, Embiotocidae, Engraulidae, Enoploteuthidae, Epitoniodea, Euphausiidae, Eupronoidae, Exocoetidae, Gadidae, Gasterosteidae, Gempylidae, Gnathophausiidae, Gobiidae, Gonatidae, Hexagrammidae, Histioteuthidae, Hyperiidae, Icosteidae, Idoteidae, Istiophoridae, Kyphosidae, Labridae, Labrisomidae, Lamnidae, Lampridae, Lanceolidae, Limacinidae, Liparidae, Loliginidae, Lotidae, Lycoteuthidae, Lysiosquillidae, Macrouridae, Malacanthidae, Mastigoteuthidae, Melamphaidae, Melanostomiinae, Merlucciidae, Microstomatidae, Molidae, Moridae, Mugilidae, Mullidae, Munididae, Myctophidae, Mysidae, Myxinidae, NA, Nemichthyidae, Nomeidae, Notosudidae, Octopodidae, Octopoteuthidae, Ocythoidae, Odontodactylidae, Ommastrephidae, Omosudidae, Onychoteuthidae, Ophichthidae, Ophidiidae, Opisthoproctidae, Opisthoteuthidae, Oplophoridae, Osmeridae, Ostraciidae, Oxycephalidae, Palinuridae, Pandalidae, Paralepididae, Paralichthyidae, Pasiphaeidae, Pelagiidae, Penaeidae, Periphyllidae, Peristediidae, Petromyzontidae, Phacellophoridae, Phosichthyidae, Phronimidae, Phrosinidae, Pinnotheridae, Platyscelidae, Pleurobrachiidae, Pleuronectidae, Pneumodermatidae, Podonidae, Polybiidae, Pomacentridae, Prayidae, Priacanthidae, Protosquillidae, Psychrolutidae, Pyrosomatidae, Pyroteuthidae, Rajidae, Rhamphocottidae, Salmonidae, Salpidae, Sciaenidae, Scomberesocidae, Scombridae, Scombrolabracidae, Scoperlarchidae, Scorpaenidae, Scyllaridae, Sebastidae, Sepiolidae, Sergestidae, Sparidae, Sphyraenidae, Spirulidae, Squalidae, Squillidae, Sternoptychidae, Stichaeidae, Stomiidae, Stromateidae, Syngnathidae, Synodontidae, Tetragonuridae, Tetraodontidae, Thysanoteuthidae, Tomopteridae, Torpedinidae, Trachipteridae, Tremoctopodidae, Triakidae, Trichiuridae, Triglidae, Ulmaridae, Vampyroteuthidae, Vibiliidae, Zaproridae, Zoarcidae
description: FishBase, SealifeBase, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Google Images, ICUN Redlist, Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts, Federal Science Library Canada