Fish Biology, Regular and Unusual Angles
Fish biology, or the science of ichthyology, if you like to impress with classic Greek – is a wide field, ranging from the taxonomy, anatomy, evolution, locomotion & feeding biology and ecology of fishes. I love fishes (fish as a plural btw are many individuals of one species, while fishes are multiple fish species). I have kept species mainly from the Amazon in tanks as a teenager until about a decade ago when my life became too nomadic to be a fish-tank keeper for a few years, and now I admire these fascinating animals almost every weeks during scuba dives.
I am in the fortunate position to research and educate about fishes on a regular basis. Here is a course webpage I set up, initially to complement a lecture I taught at Silliman University in Dumaguete. The page is no subsititute for a textbook, but should give the fish-curious student enough pointers to study on his own:
But…
Over the last few years I have also mixed humor and sideways approaches with ichthyology. It’s more interesting for me to talk about fishes in novel ways, and I believe that a sense of humor is an under-used tool in science communication. Here are a few examples:
Yes, animal ethics is another issue the fish biologist should consider. If we love animals, we mean all animals, including fishes, not just puppies and kitty cats with cute eyes, right?
Pro wrestling meets ichthyology: there is only one man in the world who can pull that off. Is this too childish? Or would you like to see another instance of Gobymania?
I hope these fish bio contributions were fun and insightful – check back soon for more! Below is the link to the high res version of the cover image, with a juvenile snapper hiding in a fire urchin.
Best Fishes,
Klaus
