docs: added README documentation

README.md

@@ -34,4 +34,90 @@ dataset_info:
             - pterois_volitans
             - arothron_meleagris
             - carcharhinus_melanopterus
----
+---
+
+# Tropical Reef Fish Dataset
+
+A dataset of tropical reef fish images for species-level image classification, collected from iNaturalist.
+
+## Dataset Description
+
+Images were scraped from iNaturalist using research-grade observations with CC0 or CC-BY licenses. The dataset covers 12 species across 9 families, targeting fish commonly encountered by snorkelers at depths of 0-10 meters in tropical reef environments.
+
+This dataset was created as part of a bachelor thesis at ZHAW School of Engineering (Institute of Embedded Systems, InES) with the goal of training a lightweight image classifier for fully offline deployment on mobile devices.
+
+## Species
+
+| Scientific Name             | Common Name            | Family         | Images |
+| --------------------------- | ---------------------- | -------------- | ------ |
+| _Acanthurus coeruleus_      | Atlantic Blue Tang     | Acanthuridae   | 500    |
+| _Naso unicornis_            | Bluespine Unicornfish  | Acanthuridae   | 500    |
+| _Scarus ghobban_            | Blue-barred Parrotfish | Labridae       | 500    |
+| _Thalassoma lunare_         | Moon Wrasse            | Labridae       | 500    |
+| _Amphiprion ocellaris_      | Ocellaris Anemonefish  | Pomacentridae  | 356    |
+| _Chromis viridis_           | Blue-green Chromis     | Pomacentridae  | 413    |
+| _Chaetodon lunula_          | Raccoon Butterflyfish  | Chaetodontidae | 500    |
+| _Pomacanthus imperator_     | Emperor Angelfish      | Pomacanthidae  | 291    |
+| _Rhinecanthus aculeatus_    | Lagoon Triggerfish     | Balistidae     | 500    |
+| _Pterois volitans_          | Red Lionfish           | Scorpaenidae   | 500    |
+| _Arothron meleagris_        | Guineafowl Puffer      | Tetraodontidae | 499    |
+| _Carcharhinus melanopterus_ | Blacktip Reef Shark    | Carcharhinidae | 468    |
+
+**Total: 5,527 images across 12 species**
+
+## Data Collection
+
+- **Source**: [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org) API (research-grade observations only)
+- **Licenses**: CC0 and CC-BY only, validated at the individual photo level
+- **Image resolution**: Original resolution as provided by iNaturalist
+- **Target depth range**: 0–10m (snorkeling depth)
+- **Contributors**: Leisure snorkelers and underwater photographers worldwide
+
+## Structure
+
+```
+data/
+  <family_scientific_name>/
+    <species_scientific_name>/
+      <species_scientific_name>_0000.jpg
+      ...
+dataset.json
+```
+
+## Metadata
+
+Each image entry in the `data` array of `dataset.json` contains:
+
+- `species_taxon_id` — iNaturalist taxon ID for the species (links to `labels` array)
+- `file` — relative path to the image file
+- `observation_id` / `observation_uri` — link back to the original iNaturalist observation
+- `photo_id` / `photo_url_original` — original photo reference on iNaturalist
+- `photo_license` — per-photo license (`cc0` or `cc-by`)
+- `photo_attribution` — attribution string as required by the license
+
+Species and family metadata is stored separately in the `labels` array, accessed via `species_taxon_id` keys:
+
+- `species_taxon_id` / `family_taxon_id` — iNaturalist taxon IDs
+- `family_common_name` / `family_scientific_name` — family-level classification
+- `species_common_name` / `species_scientific_name` — species-level classification
+- `image_count` — number of images for this species in the dataset
+
+## Intended Use
+
+This dataset is intended for training lightweight convolutional neural networks for species-level fish classification on mobile devices. It is not exhaustive of all tropical reef fish species and is not intended for scientific surveys or biodiversity assessments.
+
+## Limitations
+
+- Moderate class imbalance (291–500 images per species)
+- No bounding box annotations — classification labels only
+- Image quality varies (motion blur, partial occlusion, waterproof housing distortion)
+
+## Attribution
+
+This dataset contains images contributed by iNaturalist observers under CC0 and CC-BY licenses. Full per-image attribution is available in `dataset.json` under the `photo_attribution` field. Please credit original observers when redistributing or publishing work derived from this dataset.
+
+## License
+
+Dataset metadata and structure: [CC-BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
+
+Individual images: see `photo_license` field in `dataset.json` (CC0 or CC-BY)