This dataset describes the relative abundance of an assemblage of commercially exploited demersal fishes in northwestern Australia, mapped over a 30 arc-minute (0.5 degree) spatial grid. The data cover the period 1997-2006 and are derived from an analysis of commercial landings available through the Sea Around Us Project ( http://www.seaaroundus.org/). Further methodological details can be found in the following peer-reviewed publication, which applies the same analysis to a suite of mobile pelagic species: Bouchet PJ, Meeuwig JJ, Huang Z, Letessier TB, Nichol SL, Caley MJ, Watson RA. 2016. Continental-scale hotspots of pelagic fish abundance inferred from commercial catch records. Global Ecology and Biogeography.

Below is a full list of species/genera/families considered, with their respective contributions to the total catch (%):

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Mustelus -- 26.1948%

Platycephalidae -- 23.3191%

Seriolella -- 10.8968%

Sillaginidae -- 9.4242%

Genypterus blacodes -- 5.8347%

Pristiophorus -- 4.4934%

Tetraodontidae -- 4.3235%

Nemadactylus -- 4.2784%

Squatinidae -- 3.6071%

Mugilidae -- 3.181%

Sparidae -- 2.7037%

Chelidonichthys kumu -- 0.7146%

Rajiformes -- 0.4497%

Pterygotrigla polyommata -- 0.3911%

Scorpaenidae -- 0.1292%

Callorhinchus milii -- 0.0367%

Rhombosolea -- 0.0046%

Pleuronectiformes -- 0.0034%

Leiognathidae -- 0.003%

Lates calcarifer -- 0.0029%

Ariidae -- 0.0025%

Sciaenidae -- 0.0017%

Nemipteridae -- 0.0014%

Nemipterus -- 0.0014%

Upeneus -- 0.001%

Data will be attached to this record once analyses are completed, est. December 2016.