Lizard Island Field Guide
Lizard Island Field Guide (LIFG) can help you identify living things on the northern Great Barrier Reef and more widely in the tropical Indo-west Pacific. It includes animals, plants and more obscure groups of living things from both marine and terrestrial habitats.
In early 2022, more than 3,300 species were illustrated and more are added frequently. Thanks to decades of research at LIRS, we know that at least 7,500 species are present in the area so there's still a long way to go. The total number of species is undoubtedly much higher because some groups of life - such as insects - have still not been thoroughly studied in the area.
LIFG is a great resource for scientists, students and anyone who wants to understand what they are seeing on the island and in the waters around it. The LIFG website features:
- Photos and information for marine and terrestrial species in the Lizard Island area
- The ability to generate lists of species known from the area, including those not yet photographed
- Detailed locality data for each species within the Lizard Island area and within Australia
- Information on the level of scientific extraction of each species in the Lizard Island area
- Habitat, life history, seasonality and behavioural information
- Ways to distinguish species
- Relevant scholarly references for each species
- Links to online taxonomic databases
Contributions of photos for LIFG are most welcome. We are particularly keen to obtain images of species that are not yet represented in the Guide and - of species that are already included - better photos and those showing different life history stages and behaviours. Please use the link below to contribute images that may be selected for inclusion.
Free mobile applications are usually available for both major platforms. However, they are both being redeveloped and are currently unavailable.
Data for LIFG is sourced from:
- Scientific publications, theses and reports published from research at Lizard Island Research Station
- Photos and records provided by LIRS researchers and other island visitors
- Atlas of Living Australia records for the area, which include records from participating museums
- iNaturalist records for the area
Contact us
While the photographs provided in LIFG are identified as correctly as possible, errors do occur.
Please contact Anne Hoggett with any queries or corrections.
+ 61 (0)7 4060 3977.
LIFG has been developed in association with Gaia Guide and with the support of Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation
