What is a Fish?

“a poikilothermic, aquatic chordate with appendages developed as fins, respiring mainly through gills and with a body covered by scales” (Berra 1981)

(Tuna, eel, catfish, lungfish)

What is a Fish?

• “An aquatic vertebrate with gills and with limbs in the shape of fins” (Nelson 1994)

Ichthyology • ~26000 species of fishes – 85 jawless species – 850 cartilagenous species – 25000 bony species • ~200 new species described per year!

Fish species by habitat • 41% freshwater • 58% seawater • 1% both fresh and seawater • Water by Volume – 97% Oceans – 0.0093% Rivers Lakes

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT ur6nwyo3Y&feature=related • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA tsPjFoMho&feature=related

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM 9o4VnfHJU

History of Ichthyology

History of Ichthyology 2 • Aristotle (384–322 B.C.) • Carolus Linneaus (1707-1778) – Systema Naturae • Peter Artedi (1705-1734) • Marc Elieser Bloch (1723-1799) – Systemae ichthyologiae • Georges Cuvier & Achille Valenciannes (early-mid 1800´s) – Histoire Naturelle des Poissons (24 volumes) Pietsch TW, ed. 1995. Georges Cuvier, historical portrait of the progress of ichthyology from its origins to our own time. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

History of Ichthyology 3 • Charles Darwin (1809-1882) – On the Origin of Species (1859) Fishes in the same genus must have a common origin

General Fin Morphology Dorsal Dorsal Pectorals Pelvics Anal Caudal

General Fin Morphology Dorsal Dorsal Caudal Pectorals Pelvics Anal Anus

Body Shapes Fusiform Compressiform Depressiform Anguiliform

Body Shapes Filiform Taeniform Sagittiform Globiform

Fish can • Create light • Live up to 150 years • Change sex • Detect and produce electricity • And many, many more…..