Ichthyology 42405 221489013 2008-06-24T18:52:35Z 132.156.149.89 /* See also */ {{Zoology|Image:Coelacanth.png }} '''Ichthyology''' (from Greek: ἰχθυ, ''ikhthu'', "fish"; and λόγος, ''logos'', "knowledge") is the branch of [[zoology]] devoted to the study of [[fish]]. This includes skeletal fish ([[Osteichthyes]]), cartilaginous fish ([[Chondrichthyes]]), and jawless fish ([[Agnatha]]). An estimated 25,000 fish species exist, comprising a majority of vertebrates. While a majority of species have probably been discovered and described, approximately 250 new species are officially described by science each year. The practice of ichthyology is associated with [[marine biology]] and [[limnology]]. ==History== The study of fishes dates from the [[Upper Paleolithic|Upper Paleolithic Revolution]] (with the advent of 'high culture'). The science of ichthyology was developed in several interconnecting epochs, each with various significant advancements. ===Pre-historical Era=== (38,000 BC–1500 BC) [[Image:Mimbres_fish.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Fish]] compose approximately 8% of all figurative depictions on [[Mimbres]] [[pottery]].]] The study of fish receives its origins from the human desire to feed, clothe, and equip themselves with useful implements. According to [[Michael Barton (professor)|Michael Barton]], a prominent ichthyologist and professor at [[Centre College]], "The earliest ichthyologists were hunters and gatherers who had learned how to obtain the most useful fishes, where to obtain them in abundance, and at what times they might be the most available." These insights of early cultures were manifested in abstract and identifiable artistic expressions. ===Judeo-Christian Era=== (1500 BC–40 AD) Informal, scientific descriptions of fish are represented within the [[Judeo-Christian]] tradition. The [[kashrut]] forbade the consumption of fish without scales or appendages. [[Theologians]] and ichthyologists speculate that the apostle [[Saint Peter|Peter]] and his contemporaries harvested the fish that are today sold in modern industry along the [[Sea of Galilee]], presently known as [[Lake Kinneret]]. These fish include [[cyprinid]]s of the [[genus]] ''Barbus'' and ''Mirogrex'', [[cichlid]]s of the genus ''Sarotherodon'', and ''Mugil cephalus'' of the [[family (biology)|family]] [[Mugilidae]]. ===Mediterranean Era=== (335 BC–80 AD) [[Aristotle]] incorporated ichthyology into formal scientific study. Between 335 BC–322 BC, he provided the earliest [[taxonomy|taxonomic]] classification of fish, in which 117 species of [[Mediterranean]] fish were accurately described. Furthermore, Aristotle observed the [[anatomy|anatomical]] and behavioral differences between [[fish]] and [[marine mammal]]s. Proceeding his death, some of his pupils continued his ichthyological research. [[Theophrastus]], for example, composed a [[treatise]] on amphibious fish. The Romans, although less devoted to the pursuit of science, wrote extensively about fish. [[Pliny the Elder]], a notable Roman [[natural history|naturalist]], compiled the ichthyological works of indigenous [[Ancient Greece|Greek]]s, including verifiable and ambiguous peculiarities such as the [[sawfish]] and [[mermaid]] respectively. Pliny's documentation was the last significant contribution to ichthyology until the [[European Renaissance]]. ===European Renaissance Era=== (13th–16th century) The writings of three [[sixteenth century]] scholars, [[Hippolyte Salviani]], [[Pierre Belon]], and [[Guillaume Rondelet]], signify the conception of modern ichthyology. The investigations of these individuals were based upon actual research in comparison to ancient recitations. This property popularized and emphasized these discoveries. Despite their prominence, Rondelet's ''[[De Piscibus Marinum]]'' is regarded as the most influential, identifying 244 species of fish. ===Exploration and Colonization Era=== (16th–17th century) The incremental alterations in navigation and shipbuilding throughout the Renaissance marked the commencement of a new epoch in ichthyology. The Renaissance culminated with the era of exploration and colonization, and upon the cosmopolitan interest in navigation came the specialization in naturalism. [[Georg Marcgrave]] of [[Saxony]] composed the ''Naturalis Brasilae'' in 1648. This document contained a description of 100 species of fish indigenous to the [[Brazil|Brazilian]] coastline. In 1686, [[John Ray]] and [[Francis Willughby]] collaboratively published ''[[Historia Piscium]]'', a scientific manuscript containing 420 species of fish, 178 of these newly discovered. The fish contained within this informative literature were arranged in a provisional system of classification. The classification used within the ''Historia Piscium'' was invented by [[Carolus Linnaeus]], the "father of modern taxonomy". His taxonomic approach became the systematic approach to the study of organisms, including fish. Linnaeus was a professor at the [[University of Uppsala]] and an eminent [[botany|botanist]]; however, one of his colleagues, [[Peter Artedi]], earned the title "father of ichthyology" through his indispensable advancements. Artedi contributed to Linnaeus's refinement of the principles of taxonomy. Furthermore, he recognized five additional [[order (biology)|orders]] of fish: Malacopterygii, Acanthopterygii, Branchiostegi, Chondropterygii, and Plagiuri. Artedi developed standard methods for making counts and measurements of anatomical features that are modernly exploited. Another associate of Linnaeus, [[Albertus Seba]], was a prosperous [[pharmacist]] from [[Amsterdam]]. Seba assembled a cabinet, or collection, of fish. He invited Artedi to utilize this assortment of fish; unfortunately, in 1735, Artedi fell into an Amsterdam canal and drowned at the age of 30. Linnaeus posthumously published Artedi's manuscripts as ''Ichthyologia, sive Opera Omnia de Piscibus'' (1738). His refinement of taxonomy was culminated subsequent to the development of the [[binomial nomenclature]] which is in use by contemporary ichthyologists. Furthermore, he revised the orders introduced by Artedi, placing significance on [[pelvic fin]]s. Fish lacking this appendage were placed within the order Apodes; fish containing abdominal, thoracic, or jugular pelvic fins were termed Abdominales, Thoracici, and Jugulares respectively. However, these alterations were not grounded within the evolutionary theory. Therefore, it would take over a century until [[Charles Darwin]] would provide the intellectual foundation from which we would be permitted to perceive that the degree of similarity in taxonomic features was a consequence of [[phylogenetic]] relationship. ===Modern Era=== (17th century–Present) Close to the dawn of the [[nineteenth century]], [[Marcus Elieser Bloch]] of [[Berlin]] and [[Georges Cuvier]] of [[Paris]] made an attempt to consolidate the knowledge of ichthyology. Cuvier summarized all of the available information in his monumental ''[[Histoire Naturelle des Poissons]]''. This manuscript was published between 1828 and 1849 in a 22 volume series. This documentation contained 4,514 species of fish, 2,311 of these new to science. This piece of literature remains one of the most ambitious treatises of the modern world. The scientific exploration of the Americas progressed our knowledge of the remarkable diversity of fish. [[Charles Alexandre Lesueur]] was a student of Cuvier. He made a cabinet of fish dwelling within the [[Great Lakes]] and [[Saint Lawrence River]] regions. Adventurous individuals such as [[John James Audubon]] and [[Constantine Samuel Rafinesque]] figure in the faunal documentation of [[North America]]. These persons often traveled with one another and composed ''[[Ichthyologia Ohiensis]]'' in 1820. In addition, [[Louis Agassiz]] of [[Switzerland]] established his reputation through the study of freshwater fish and organisms and the pioneering of paleoichthyology. Agassiz eventually immigrated to the [[United States]] and taught at [[Harvard University]] in 1846. [[Albert Günther]] published his ''[[Catalogue of the Fishes of the British Museum]]'' between 1859 and 1870, describing over 6,800 species and mentioning another 1,700. Generally considered one of the most influential ichthyologists, [[David Starr Jordan]] wrote 650 articles and books on the subject as well as serving as president of [[Indiana University (Bloomington)|Indiana University]] and [[Stanford University]]. ==Modern Publications== {| class="wikitable" ! Publication !! Frequency !! Date of Publication !! Affiliated Company |- | ''[[Copeia]]'' || Quarterly || [[27 December]] [[1913]] || [[American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists]] |- | ''[[Journal of Applied Ichthyology]]'' || Bi-monthly || Unknown || Blackwell Publishing |} == Organizations == {| width="60%" class="wikitable" | ! Organizations !! Organizations |- | width="30%" align="left" style="vertical-align: top;" | *American Elasmobranch Society *American Fisheries Society *American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists *Association of Systematics Collections *Canadian Association of Aquarium Clubs *Native Fish Conservancy *Neotropical Ichthyological Association | width="30%" align="left" style="vertical-align: top;" | *[[North American Native Fishes Association]] *Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology *Society for Northwestern Vertebrate Biology *Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections *Southeastern Fishes Council *Southwestern Association of Naturalists *[[World Conservation Union|The World Conservation Union]] |} == Notable ichthyologists == The names are followed by their fields of specialization and major contributions: * [[Alexander Emanuel Agassiz]] * [[Louis Agassiz]] * HIM [[Emperor Akihito]] of [[Japan]] * [[Peter Artedi]] * [[William O. Ayres]] - [[California]] * [[Spencer Fullerton Baird]] * [[Tarleton Hoffman Bean]] * [[Lev Berg]] - [[Russia]] * [[Hans C. Bjerring]] * [[Pieter von Bleeker]] - [[East Indies]] * [[Marcus Elieser Bloch]] * [[George Albert Boulenger]] * [[Edward Drinker Cope]] * [[Georges Cuvier]] * [[Francis Day]] - [[India]] * [[Carl H. Eigenmann]] * [[Rosa Smith Eigenmann]] * [[Samuel Garman]] * [[Charles Henry Gilbert]] * [[Theodore Nicholas Gill]] * [[Charles Frédéric Girard]] * [[George Brown Goode]] * [[Albert C. L. G. Günther|Albert Günther]] * [[Carl L. Hubbs]] * [[Erik Jarvik]] * [[David Starr Jordan]] * [[Seth Eugene Meek]] * [[George S. Myers]] * [[John Treadwell Nichols]] - [[China]], founder of ''Copeia'' * [[John Richardson Norman]] * [[C. Tate Regan]] * [[Donn E. Rosen]] * [[James Leonard Brierley Smith|J.L.B. Smith]] * [[Edwin C. Starks]] * [[Franz Steindachner]] * [[Erik Stensiö]] * [[Achille Valenciennes]] * [[Francis Willughby]] == See also == * [[List of publications in biology#Ichthyology|Important publications in ichthyology]] * [[Meristics]] *[[Ichthyology terms]] ==References== * [[Carl E. Bond]], ''Biology of Fishes'' (Saunders, 1996) ISBN 0-03-070342-5 * Joseph S. Nelson, ''Fishes of the World'' (Wiley, 2006) ISBN 0-471-25031-7 * [[Michael Barton (professor)|Michael Barton]], ''Bond's Biology of Fishes Third Edition'' (Julet, 2007) ISBN 0-12-079875-1 ==External links== * [http://www.briancoad.com/main.asp?page=fishdictionary.htm Brian Coad's Dictionary of Ichthyology] * [http://www2.biology.ualberta.ca/jackson.hp/IWR/ Ichthyology Web Resources] * [http://www.prosanta.net/ich.htm List of Ichthyologists] [[Category:Zoology]] [[Category:Ichthyology]] [[bs:Ihtiologija]] [[ca:Ictiologia]] [[cs:Ichtyologie]] [[de:Ichthyologie]] [[et:Ihtüoloogia]] [[el:Ιχθυολογία]] [[es:Ictiología]] [[fa:آبزی‌شناسی]] [[fr:Ichtyologie]] [[gl:Ictioloxía]] [[id:Iktiologi]] [[ia:Ichthyologia]] [[is:Fiskifræði]] [[it:Ittiologia]] [[he:איכתיולוגיה]] [[ka:იქთიოლოგია]] [[la:Ichthyologia]] [[lb:Ichthyologie]] [[lt:Ichtiologija]] [[hu:Ichthiológia]] [[nl:Ichtyologie]] [[ja:魚類学]] [[no:Iktyologi]] [[nn:Iktyologi]] [[oc:Ictiologia]] [[pl:Ichtiologia]] [[pt:Ictiologia]] [[kaa:İxtiologiya]] [[ro:Ihtiologie]] [[ru:Ихтиология]] [[simple:Ichthyology]] [[sv:Iktyologi]] [[tet:Iktiolojia]] [[th:มีนวิทยา]] [[tg:Ихтиология]] [[tr:İhtiyoloji]] [[uk:Іхтіологія]] [[ur:اسماکیات]] [[zh:鱼类学]]