Ichthyology: the study of fishes
Vertebrate taxa
24,500 species 850 species 8,600 species 6,500 species 4,100
Vertebrate biases # pages in Larousse Encyclopedia of Animals 61 15% 15 4% 48 12% % %
Number of species per order >9,000 species
Define “fish”…..
Fish extremes: Largest (SW): whale shark (12 m) Smallest: dwarf goby (Trimmatom nanus) – 8.0 mm carp Paedocypris progenetica – 7.9 mm
Distribution of water vs. fishes
41% of all fishes 58% of all fishes
Systems and sensory modalities of fishes osmoregulation buoyancy control respiration (air and water) mechanosensory – lateral line light production electroreception electric generation anatomically varied sound production