NIFS announced that it will reclassify or rename its rare fish specimens that it has collected and held for over 100 years, so as to utilize them in research that reconstructs the fish ecosystem on the Korean Peninsula in the past. 

1,325 out of the 2,232 specimens belonging to NIFS are the collection over empire of Korea and the Japanese colonization period from 1900s to 1945, which are about Korea's major fisheries resources, Korean endemic freshwater species, natural monuments, endangered species, etc. 

In particular, the specimens of North Korea (Amnokgang River, Daedonggang River, etc.) - which is very difficult to collect at the moment - is critical data to understand the freshwater ecosystem on the Korean Peninsula in the past. 

NIFS has reclassified around 200 specimens using morphological classification, modified the specific name of 40 specimens, and corrected the collecting time and location information of 70 specimens. This is expected to allow more accurate reconstruction of the fish ecosystem on the Korean Peninsula in the past. 

Notably, some of the specimens classified to 'amur minnow (Rhynchocypris steindachneri) turned out to be 'ab-rok-ja-geu-sa-ni (Mesogobio lachneri)' habitating only in Amnokgang River. Moreover, in case of 'mo-o-kae (Lota lota)' - the only freshwater gadid fish only found in near Amnokgang River and nothing much to be known -, its inaccurate morphological information records were corrected based on the specimens secured in 1935. 

Also, some specimens brought up the possibility that they might be the holotype, the single specimen that a researcher designated as the name-bearing representative of a new species.

'Swiri (Korean splendid dae, ocreoleuciscus splendidus)', 'Ja-ga-sari (South torrent catfish, Liobagrus mediadiposalis)', and 'Bae-ga-sari (Microphysogobio longidorsalis)' were given their scientific names in 1935 and 1936 respectively, It was confirmed that the specimens identified this time are likely to be the same as the specimens at the time of scientific names being given.

This will be important data for re-examining the historical significance of fish research on the Korean Peninsula and deepening research related. 

Going forward, NIFS is going to conduct various in-depth research to secure and strengthen the bio-sovereignty by utilizing its rare specimens, including ▲track of changes in the fish fauna and bio diversity on the Korean Peninsula in the past ▲ research on the preservation of endangered species and climate change sensitive species ▲securing positive evidence for holotype and identifying endemic species.