Eelinfot

Eelinfot is a freely accessible online knowledge base dedicated to eels and their ecosystems. Launched in 2010 by a consortium of marine biologists and information scientists, it aggregates scientific literature, species profiles, ecological data, and geographic distribution.

Scope and content: It covers freshwater and marine eel groups, including the family Anguillidae and other commercially and ecologically important groups such as moray and conger eels. Each species page includes taxonomy, description, habitat, life cycle, distribution maps, and conservation status.

Data sources and quality: The platform integrates peer-reviewed articles, museum records, and validated field observations. Content editors review submissions; data are versioned, with attribution and licensing under a permissive open license.

History and development: Originated from collaboration between universities and aquariology groups. It evolved from a prototype database to a comprehensive portal with API access for researchers.

Usage and impact: Used by researchers, educators, fisheries managers, and conservationists to track species status, study migration, and inform policy. Critics note gaps in data for lesser-studied regions and rare species.

Access and governance: Eelinfot is open access with CC BY licensing for content contributions; users can contribute via a submission workflow; governance is overseen by an editorial board with scientific affiliations.