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IRMNG webservice

As a user or developer you can use the IRMNG webservice to feed your own application with standard IRMNG data.
A non exhaustive list of applications:
  • get the IRMNG_ID for your taxon
  • check the spelling of your taxa
  • get the authority for your taxa
  • get the full classification for your taxa
  • resolve your unaccepted names to accepted ones
  • get all synonyms for a taxon
  • fuzzy/near match your species list
  • resolve a common name/vernacular to a scientific name
  • get the common name(s)/vernacular(s) for a taxon
  • get the sources/references for a taxon
  • get the IRMNG citation for a taxon
  • get the direct children for a taxon
  • get all taxa modified during a time interval
  • get an external identifier for a taxon
  • get the IRMNG_ID for an external identifier/database
  • get all distributions for a taxon
  • get all attributes for a taxon
We support these methods of accessing the service:

RESTful service

SOAP service


For problems or questions, please contact info@marinespecies.org

Linking to IRMNG

If you simply want to link to IRMNG, just use this URL: https://irmng.org/aphia.php?p=taxlist&tName=Your Species
i.e. https://irmng.org/aphia.php?p=taxlist&tName=Solea solea
(This assumes that you have no idea if the taxon exists, or you do not want to look up the IRMNG_ID)

If you know the taxon exists, lookup the IRMNG_ID, via the search interface, and link to this URL: https://irmng.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=IRMNG_ID
i.e. the IRMNG_ID for Solea solea is 10150800: https://irmng.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=10150800

Life Science Identifier (LSID)

LSIDs are persistent, location-independent, resource identifiers for uniquely naming biologically significant resources.
The LSID concept introduces a straightforward approach to naming and identifying data resources stored in multiple, distributed data stores in a manner that overcomes the limitations of naming schemes in use today.
More information here and here.

WoRMS has implemented LSIDs for all its taxonomic names and they are displayed on each taxon page. We have integrated the IRMNG_ID into the LSID, so in fact you can continue using the IRMNG_ID.

For example: the LSID for Solea solea is: urn:lsid:irmng.org:taxname:10150800
You can resolve an LSID via the various services available.
Example for Solea solea: LSID Resolver

The returned model is RDF (XML) with metadata elements from Darwin Core and Dublin Core.


This service is powered by LifeWatch Belgium
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