Studies of little-known marine species championed in Hong Kong

Storing his collection of marine life specimens has also posed a challenge. In countries such as the United States, United Kingdom and Singapore, as well as cities on the Chinese mainland, including Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin, natural history museums serve as repositories for local specimens.

However, Hong Kong lacks a centralized system for cataloging, managing, analyzing and disseminating data about its local specimens, even though the city is home to more than 25 percent of all marine species recorded in China, a report by the University of Hong Kong shows. This deficiency makes it difficult to verify past records and monitor the status of marine resources.

"I am concerned that the specimens of the local marine creatures we've described will disappear after I retire," Qiu said.

For now, most of his specimens are housed in larger museums on the mainland.