Forming of network with photographs in a museum, and its application to ichthyological research

本研究的目的是通过照片在普通人和研究人员之间建立一个信息网络，并将其产品应用于鱼类学研究。大部分照片是由潜水员拍摄的水下鱼类照片，主要产品是神奈川县自然历史博物馆（KPM-NR）名为鱼类图像数据库的图像数据库的构建。为收集潜水员拍摄的水下鱼类照片，开展了以下活动：1）讲解图像数据库及其实用性; 2）在潜水商店和活动场所发放潜水宣传单; 3）在一些面向潜水员的杂志上进行宣传。另一方面，在日本鱼类学会1996年的年会上和1998年的专题讨论会上，鱼类学家们被授予博物馆收藏鱼类水下照片的价值。结果，1995 - 1996年数据库中储存了11085张图像，1997年储存了5364张图像，1998年6005人，共计22454人。根据这些图像，在分类学领域取得了以下成就：1）发现未描述的物种; 2）发现新的颜色变化; 3）根据生长确定颜色变化; 4）确定两性之间的差异。在植物地理学方面，主要有：1）编制了区系名录; 2）发现了日本未记录种; 3）更新了最北的热带、亚热带种记录。最后，在生态学方面，主要有：1）发生期的确定; 2）生境的确定; 3）习性的确定，如姿势和游泳方式。

Purposes of present study are forming an informative network between ordinary persons and researchers with photographs, and applying its product to ichthyological research. Most of photographs are underwater photographs of fishes taken by SCUBA divers, and main product is construction of image database named as the Image Database of Fishes in the Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Natural History (KPM-NR). Many images collected by this system were actually applied to taxonomy, zoogeography, and ecology of fishes.For collecting underwater photographs of fishes from divers, the following actions were carried out : 1) lecture on the Image Database and its usefulness ; 2) distribution of leaflet in diving shop and place of event on diving ; 3) publicity in a few magazine for divers. On the other hand, a presentation in the annual meeting, 1996 and a lecture in the symposium, 1998 in the Ichthyological Society of Japan were given to ichthyologists for having value as collection of underwater photographs of fishes in museum recognized.As the result, 11085 images were stocked in the database from 1995 to 1996, 5364 in 1997, 6005 in 1998, and 22454 in total. On the basis of the images, the following successes were obtained in taxonomic field : 1) discovery of undescribed species ; 2) discovery of new color variations ; 3) determination of change of color according to growth ; 4) determination of differences between both sexes. In biogeographical field, the successes are as follows : 1) making of faunal list ; 2) discovery of unrecorded species from Japan ; 3) renewing of the northernmost record of tropical and subtropical species. Lastly, in ecological field, the successes are as follows : 1)determination of period of occurrence ; 2) determination of habitat ; 3)determination of habit such as posture and swimming manner.