FishBase Client

The Internet isn't called the information superhighway for nothing. It truly deserves this title because it makes any bit of info, true or not, accessible in a matter of seconds. As such, you can find anything of interest ranging from news and multimedia to entire databases and encyclopedias. In this regard, FishBase Client comes as a simple means of quickly finding out anything about... well, fish.

A proper impression is made right from the start. With a simple download process being all there is to it, you can launch the application to see if it suits your needs. This also means you can keep it on a removable device and use on the go, given that the target machine is connected to the Internet, otherwise everything is done in vain.

The application uses the powerful FishBase website as reference for gathering data, which is another advantage because you have the certainty that provided info is accurate. In consequence, there's an incredibly high change to find all you need as long as it's related to fish.

With a simple interface fitted with a few input fields, a “Search” button and several target pages that only provide the result in a different language, accommodation is nothing to worry about. A handful of tabs let you specify species, genus, common details and family.

If you're unsure regarding input fields, although they're either one or two depending on the tab you're in, a few examples are available to test out functionality. Selecting one automatically fills in all details and the only thing you need to do is hit the “Search” button.

However, once results are displayed you start to question out the application's practicality. This is because your default web browser instantly pops up with a page displaying your selected criteria. At this point the application presents no further use. There's no option to export results, the only generated details being represented by the full URL that takes you to the specific page.

Taking everything into consideration, we can say that FishBase Client is a little different than what we expected to find while fishing through its pond of features. The only catch is a simple portable search engine that has no functionality without a web browser and active Internet connection. Nonetheless, it has to thank the target website for continuous uptime, with no gathering or export options whatsoever.