A Lifelong Focus on Fish Diversity
Taxonomy may not always make headlines, but it is the foundation of how we understand life in the oceans. For Dr. Hiroyuki Motomura, professor of ichthyology and director of the Kagoshima University Museum, that foundation has been his lifelong focus. His research centers on the systematics of fishes, including taxonomy and biogeography—fields where his work has had a lasting global impact. Since joining FishBase as a collaborator in 2013, he has been contributing vital information and images of newly described species, ensuring that discoveries in fish diversity are quickly shared with the global community.
From Threadfins to Global Research
Dr. Motomura earned his PhD from Miyazaki University in 2001 with a groundbreaking revision of threadfins (Polynemidae), publishing part of his work as an issue of the FAO Species Catalogue series entitled Threadfins of the World . His career path then took him to the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo, the Australian Museum in Sydney, and CSIRO in Hobart before he returned to Japan in 2005 to begin building the fish collection at Kagoshima University Museum, of which he is the current director.
A Remarkable Scientific Output
Since then, Dr. Motomura has established one of Japan’s largest university fish collections, now numbering more than 300,000 specimens. Alongside this work, he has published over 1,000 scientific papers and 90 books, describing eight new genera, 204 new species, and two subspecies—an extraordinary contribution to ichthyology that continues to expand science’s understanding of marine life.
Connecting Discoveries with FishBase
His collaboration with FishBase began when the team reached out to him after he published a newly described species. Since then, he has continued to share data and photographs of newly recorded fishes, helping FishBase keep pace with the fast-moving field of taxonomy.
Why FishBase Matters
For Dr. Motomura, FishBase offers something unique: “the only website that the general public can use to research fish names, sizes, distribution, ecology and literature.” What could otherwise take hours—or even prove impossible—through scattered sources is readily available in one place. FishBase not only supports scientists but also makes reliable information accessible to educators, students, and non-specialists.
Looking Ahead
Dr. Motomura sees FishBase’s role becoming ever more important: “I hope it will maintain its current quality while expanding to cover all valid fish species.” His anniversary wish is both heartfelt and forward-looking: deep respect for those maintaining the database and encouragement for its continued growth.
A Legacy in Partnership
From specimens carefully stored in museum jars to digital entries in FishBase, Dr. Hiroyuki Motomura’s work ensures that knowledge of the world’s fishes is preserved and shared. His contributions highlight how taxonomy—often an unsung science—underpins global understanding of biodiversity, and how collaboration with FishBase extends that knowledge to the world.
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