If you’ve ever wondered what the you’ve just caught while on a deep sea fishing trip, then Marine Fishes Identification Guide for iPad, by developer Caranx Informatica, is your new best (first) mate.
The iPad app, also available on the iPhone, is a powerful resource for learning your ocean fishes, and though the price is certainly a bit high for an iPad app, the information is comprehensive enough to warrant the steep cost of entry. If you’re yearning to get to learning, check out our full iPad app review of this fishy guide below!
Concept and Functionality (4 star rating)
Essentially, Marine Fishes serves as an illustrated guide to saltwater marine life the world over, coming packed with over 184 color, black and white fish illustrations. Each of these entries can be queried for via name, family, and genera, making it a simple matter to locate that one stubborn Sparisoma viride.
Each fish entry (or card as they’re called here) comes jammed to the gills with extra information, as well. Reference tit-bits include the fish’s color, characteristics, measurements, range, habitat, behavior, threat level, and name in multiple languages. On that note, the app also includes a handy translator that splits each entry’s name into three different languages, making the linguists in us just dizzy with excitement. And of course, if you have a specific fish you’re looking for, you can always use the search bar along the top of the application to get straight to the individual specimen.
There’s also a pair of memorization games, which is a nice touch, especially if you’re considering Marine Fishes’ use in the classroom. There’s a basic memory game where tiles are flipped and paired, but the game also includes a sight identification challenge that’s very hard. Both are excellent, and when paired with such a massive repository of fishing information, Marine Fishes is a complete package that’s hard to argue with.
Design and Illustrations (4 start rating)
The app’s copious illustrations are all top-notch, and look as if they’ve just come out of a DK Guides book, or even a taxidermic reference. Likewise, the menus themselves are gorgeous, featuring hand-drawn art and simple tags. There’s a slight learning curve with Marine Fishes, as one has to become familiar with the multitude of included features, but once the user has a handle on things, in-app navigation could not be easier.
We do wish there was a simple way to connect fish entries to further reading, like Wikipedia. Even the option to export info to Facebook would be nice.
Overall Value (3 star rating)
No matter how you slice it, Marine Fishes is pricy, clocking in at $9.99 in the App Store. However, the app is certainly ripe with fun facts and in-depth scientific information. If you’re yearning to learn more about marine life, the app is your best bet on the iPad. Otherwise, perhaps Google might be a cheaper alternative.
Marine Fishes iPad App Video Review
