NIFS announced that it proposed the standardized Korean nomenclature for Antarctic fish species for the first time in Korea, which was the first official accomplishment out of the 「Study on the Establishment of Korean Names and Naming Principles for Antarctic Fish Species」 carried out jointly by NIFS and the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI). 

Since NIFS and KOPRI signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) last April, the two institutes have finalized the names for 147 endemic fish species out of approximately 2,000 fish species inhabiting the Antarctic Ocean and have established naming principles. The names were determined based on ecological and morphological characteristics. ‘Mero (Japanese)’ was standardized as ‘Patagonian toothfish’ or ‘Antarctic toothfish’ and Korean names have been assigned to fish previously known by foreign loanwords or scientific names, such as replacing the foreign term ‘Silverfish’ with ‘Antarctic silverfish’, to name a few.

Starting with the publication of pictorial guidebook to pelagic fish “FISHES of the OCEAN” in 1988, NIFS has had a great interest in the establishment of standardized names for pelagic fish species. This establishment secured scientific and linguistic consistency of standardized Korean names as well as addressed the difficulties that those working in fisheries, research, education, academia, etc. have faced because of the absence of standard Korean names. As such, the achievement is expected to contribute to future research on Antarctic fish and to be effective in enhancing public understanding. 

Given that the two institutes have been aligned with the activities of CCAMLR’s scientific committee, the research achievement is also projected to create a synergy effect for the research cooperation and marine biological resources management. 

The president of NIFS said, “Building on the joint achievement, NIFS will strengthen the partnership with KOPRI. We will also expand the scope of targeted research so that Korea can actively participate in the activities for the future research on Antarctic fish and sustainable use and conservation of the resources.”