A Bionumeric Code Application in Handling Complex and Massive Faunal Data

• Published in: Systematic Zoology
• Main Authors: Bullis, Harvey R., Roe, Richard B.
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University Press 1967
• Subjects: Articles; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://sysbio.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/16/1/52; https://doi.org/10.2307/2411516

A bionumeric code, used by the BCF Exploratory Fishing Base in Pascagoula, Miss, is presented and discussed. The basic code consists of 9 digits divided into phylum-class, class-order, family, genus, and species categories. The code, a modification of one proposed by the FAO in 1960, has facilitated the handling of large quantities of faunal data from the southwestern North Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea. Expansion capabilities are inherent in the code structure and are discussed. Comparisons are also made with several code systems previously suggested by other workers. The present need for bionumeric coding systems is emphasized and a suggestion is made for establishing a central agency wherein all taxonomic records would be maintained and coded.