The science of ichthyology. What is ichthyology? Ichthyology is the science of what? What is ichthyology definition

ICHTHYOLOGY, -i, g. The branch of zoology that studies fish. || adj. ichthyological, -aya, -oe.

View value ICHTHYOLOGY in other dictionaries

Ichthyology- and. Greek fish science, a class or department of zoology containing descriptions of fish. Ichthyologist is a zoologist, especially concerned with fish. Ichthyological, relative. to natural........
Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary

Ichthyology- ichthyology, pl. no, w. (from the Greek ichthys - fish and logos - teaching). Department of zoology dedicated to the study of fish.
Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

Ichthyology J.— 1. Section of zoology in which fish and cyclostomes are studied.
Explanatory Dictionary by Efremova

Ichthyology- -And; and. [from Greek ichthys - fish and logos - teaching] Section of zoology devoted to the study of fish. Lectures on ichthyology. Study, get involved in ichthyology.
◁ Ichthyological, -aya,........
Kuznetsov's Explanatory Dictionary

Ichthyology- branch of zoology that studies FISH. Includes classification, structure, distribution and ecology. The ancient Greeks, especially Aristotle, are considered the founders of this science in the West.
Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary

Ichthyology- (from the Greek ichthys - fish and...logy) - a section of zoology that studies fish and cyclostomes. - the basis of rational fishing and fish farming.
Large encyclopedic dictionary

Ichthyology— (from the Greek ichthys - fish and...logy), a section of vertebrate zoology that studies fish and cyclostomes (hagfish and lampreys), and their applied significance. Ch. problems of modern times I. - study of ecology,......
Biological encyclopedic dictionary

1) The most ancient generalizations in the field of ichthyology belong to Indian scientists. The first book on fish farming, which also contains information about the lifestyle of fish, was published in China in the middle of the 1st millennium BC. 2)

2) Aristotle (4th century BC), in his work “History of Animals”, identified fish as a separate group of aquatic vertebrates, and provided a lot of data on the anatomy, reproduction and lifestyle of fish.

3) From the 2nd half of the 15th century - the study of fish, primarily as a valuable economic object. Over 4 and a half centuries (15th - 19th centuries), a large amount of material was accumulated on the fauna of marine and freshwater fish.

4) In the 19th century, ichthyology was separated from zoology into an independent science.

5) Since the mid-20th century, ichthyologists have developed more advanced methods for studying the age and growth of fish, nutrition, reproduction, population dynamics, distribution and migrations. They have found application in the methods of ichthyological research and in the practice of fisheries. modern achievements physics and chemistry: the use of sonars in commercial fish exploration, electric light for attracting and catching fish, radioactive isotopes for studying fish nutrition and tagging.

Ichthyology is a branch of zoology that studies fish and cyclostomes (lamreys, hagfish). Fish are the most numerous group of vertebrates, which numbers more than 20 thousand species. This contributed to the separation from zoology of a separate section of ichthyology - the science of fish (from the Greek.

“ichthys” – fish, “logos” – concept, teaching).

Ichthyology studies:

– external and internal structure of fish (morphology and anatomy);

– the attitude of fish to the external environment (ecology);

– features of individual development (embryology) and the history of the development of species, genera, families, etc. (evolution and phylogeny);

– geographical distribution of fish (zoogeography).

Ichthyology is divided into:

– general ichthyology ( general questions morphology, anatomy, ecology, evolution, origin, distribution of fish);

– private ichthyology ( distinctive features and biology of individual fish species).

2 External structure of fish.

External signs. The body of the fish is divided into head, torso and tail. The boundary between the head and the body is the posterior edge of the operculum (without the gill membrane), and between the body and the tail is the anus.

The following parts are distinguished on the head:

snout - the space from the end of the muzzle to the front edge of the eye;

cheek - the area from the eye to the posterior edge of the preopercular bone;

forehead (or interorbital space) - the space between

throat - the space between the gill membranes and the base of the pectoral fins;

chin - the area on the ventral side between the lower jaws and the place of attachment of the gill membranes.

The space between the end of the anal fin and the beginning of the caudal fin is the caudal peduncle; This is usually where the smallest height of the body is located, while the greatest is in front of the dorsal fin.

Body shape. Fish have a wide variety of body shapes (Fig. 1). The most common are:

1. Torpedo-shaped (spindle-shaped). The body is well streamlined. These are pelagic species, good swimmers, capable of long and fast movements (tuna, mackerel, salmon). Most fish have a body shape close to this type.

2. Sagittal. The head is pointed, the body is long, has a uniform height almost throughout, the dorsal and anal fins are shifted towards the tail. Fish do not make long movements and are capable of lightning-fast throws (pike, garfish, etc.).

3. Ribbon-shaped. The body is strongly elongated, flattened laterally. These are inhabitants of great depths; they swim slowly, bending their entire body (saberfish, herring king).

4. Acne. The body is elongated, oval in cross section. Fish swim slowly, bending their entire body (lampreys, hagfish, eel, loach).

5. Flat. The body is flat, in some fish the body is compressed laterally (bream, sunfish, flounder), in others the body is compressed in the dorsal-abdominal direction (stingray, monkfish). These are bottom-dwelling, sedentary fish.

6. Globular. The body is almost spherical. The hedgehog fish and lumpfish have this body shape. Fish with this body shape swim very slowly.

Many fish are difficult to classify into any of these groups; they occupy an intermediate position, and some species have an unusual shape (rag-horse).

Head. The head shape of fish is quite varied. In some species, the upper jaw extends into a long xiphoid appendage and is an attack weapon (swordfish); sometimes it has a saw-like appendage (saw-fish). In some fish, the appendage of the lower jaw (Japanese half-snout) extends forward. Sometimes both jaws are evenly extended forward like a beak (garfish). The paddlefish has a head with a huge spatulate extension. In whistler fishes and pipefishes, the mouth is extended into a long tube; in lampreys and hagfishes it is transformed into a powerful sucker. The hammerhead shark has a hammer-shaped head with eyes at the ends.

The position of the mouth and its structure depend on the nature of the diet. There are:

1) upper (semi-upper) mouth - the lower jaw protrudes forward upward (cisso, sabrefish, silver carp);

2) terminal mouth - jaws have the same length (peled, omul, mackerel);

3) lower (semi-lower) mouth - the upper jaw, or rostrum, protrudes strongly forward (cartilaginous, sturgeon).

Bottom-feeding fish usually have a lower (or semi-lower) mouth, while planktivores have an upper one. The exception is sharks, in which the position of the mouth is not related to the nature of nutrition (they are mainly predators), but is determined by the presence of a rostrum that performs hydrodynamic functions. In some fish, due to the protrusion of the premaxillary bones, the mouth can extend, forming an oral tube (sturgeon, carp).

The eyes are usually located on the sides of the head. In some cases, the eyes are shifted far upward (stargazer oligoscale). In adult flounders, both eyes are on the same side. There are blind fish that have no eyes.

All fish have paired nasals(or olfactory) openings on each side of the head; lampreys and hagfish have one opening. In bony fish they are located in front of the eyes on the upper side of the head, and in cartilaginous fish (sharks, rays, chimeras) - on the lower side of the head.

Many fish have antennae on their heads - organs of touch and taste (catfish, cod, burbot, loach). The head of fish is often armed with thorns and thorns.

Behind the head are gill slits or holes. Hagfish have one gill opening on each side, lampreys have 7. Most sharks and all rays have 5 gill slits that directly open outward. In sharks, slits open on the sides of the body in front or above the base of the pectoral fins, in rays - on the ventral side, under the base of the pectoral fins. Chimeras have 4 gill slits, covered with a fold of skin like an operculum. Bony fish have only one gill slit, covered by a true gill operculum.

Gill covers in fish, they are bordered by gill membranes, which can be attached to the intergill space (in cyprinids) or free (in herrings). In some fish, the gill membranes grow together to form a fold (beluga).

Most fish have a lateral line(l.l. – linea lateralis) – sensory organ. The appearance of the lateral line is quite varied. In some fish it runs in the form of one straight line from the head to the base of the tail (carp, salmon), in others it is interrupted (smelt, saffron cod) or curved (siberian fish). In some cases, the lateral line is used as a systematic feature.

Fins..

Fins are divided into paired, corresponding to the limbs of higher vertebrates, and unpaired.

Pairs include:

1) pectoral P (pinna pectoralis); 2) abdominal V. (p. ventralis).

To unpaired:

1) dorsal D (p. dorsalis);

2) anal A (p. analis); 3) caudal C (p. caudalis).

In salmonids, characins, killer whales, and others, behind the dorsal fin there is an adipose fin devoid of fin rays (p.adiposa).

Pelvic fins occupy different positions in fish, which is associated with a shift in the center of gravity caused by contraction of the abdominal cavity and the concentration of the viscera in the front of the body.

In some species, the pelvic fins are transformed into spines (stickleback), in some - into suckers (leaffish). In male sharks and rays, the posterior rays of the pelvic fins have transformed into copulatory organs - pterygopodia. Pelvic fins are absent in eels, catfish, etc.

Dorsal fins there may be one (herring-like, carp-like), two (mullet-like, perch-like) or three (cod-like). Their location is different. In the sailfish, the dorsal fin reaches large sizes, it is long and high, in the flounder it is in the form of a long ribbon along the back and, at the same time as the anal fin, it is the main organ of movement.

The anal fin serves as a keel; in some cases it is an organ of movement and develops greatly in length (flounder, eel, electric eel, som).

Caudal fin has a varied structure.

Depending on the size of the upper and lower blades, they are distinguished:

1) isobathic type - in the fin the upper and lower blades are the same (tuna, mackerel);

2) hypobate type – the lower lobe is elongated (flying fish);

3) epibate type - the upper lobe is elongated (sharks, sturgeons).

Based on their shape and location relative to the end of the spine, several types are distinguished:

1) protocercal - in the form of a fin border (lamrey);

2) heterocercal - asymmetrical, when the end of the spine enters the upper, most elongated lobe of the fin (sharks, sturgeon);

3) homocercal - externally symmetrical, with the modified body of the last vertebra extending into the upper lobe (teleost).

In teleosts Fishes are distinguished by the following types of caudal fins: forked (herring), notched (salmon), truncated (cod), rounded (burbot, gobies), semilunar (tuna, mackerel), pointed (elpout).

Fins perform different functions.

1. The caudal fin creates driving force, provides high maneuverability of the fish when turning, acts as a rudder.

2. Paired fins maintain balance and act as rudders when turning and at depth.

3. The dorsal and anal fins act as a keel, preventing the body from rotating around its axis.

SKIN

Leather. Fish skin performs a number of important functions:

1) protecting the body from the effects of the external environment;

2) participation in metabolism (osmoregulation, skin respiration);

3) various sensitive cells are located in the skin.

Fish skin consists of two layers :

1) upper – epidermis of ectodermal origin;

2) lower – dermis (cutis, corium), of mesodermal origin. The boundary between these layers is the basement membrane. The skin is underlain by subcutaneous connective tissue containing fat cells. The structure of fish skin depends on their lifestyle. In fish (as well as in cyclostomes) epidermis includes:

1) lower germ layer (one row of cylindrical cells);

2) middle layer (several rows of cells, the shape of which varies from cylindrical to flattened);

3) upper layer (several rows of flattened cells). Scales. The body of most fish is covered with scales; slow-swimming fish usually lack scales (cyclostomes, catfish, some gobies, stingrays).

In modern fish, three types of scales are distinguished - placoid, ganoid and bony. Placoid scales are the most ancient, and ganoid and bony scales are its derivatives.

The placoid scale consists from a rhombic plate lying in the dermis and a spine protruding outward. The spine may end in one or more points. It is characteristic of cartilaginous fish and is replaced several times during life. The placoid scale consists of three layers:

1) vitrodentin (outer enamel-like substance);

2) dentin (organic substance impregnated with lime);

3) pulp (tooth cavity filled with loose connective tissue with blood vessels).

Ganoid scale It has a rhombic shape and a lateral protrusion in the form of a tooth, with the help of which the scales are connected to each other. It consists of three layers:

1) ganoin (upper compacted);

2) cosmin (medium, containing numerous tubules); 3) isopedine (lower, consisting of bone substance).

These scales are characteristic of armored fishes, polyfins, and are preserved on the tail of sturgeons. A type of ganoid scale is cosmoid in lobe-finned fish (without the upper layer of ganoid).

Bone scale formed as a result of the transformation of the ganoid - the layers of ganoin and cosmin disappeared and only bone substance remained.

Based on the nature of the surface, two types of bone scales are distinguished:

1) cycloid with a smooth posterior edge (herring, carp);

2) ctenoid, the posterior edge has spines (perciformes).

Cycloid scales are more primitive, ctenoid scales are more progressive.

Distinctive feature scales of bony fish is the method of their formation. Introducing its base into a scaly pocket screwed into the dermis, its free end overlaps the next scale like a tile.

The bone scales have three layers:

1) upper – transparent, structureless;

2) medium – integumentary, mineralized, with ribs or sclerites;

3) bottom – main.

3 Skeleton of the skull.

The skeleton of the skull is divided into two sections:

1) cranium (axial, or neural, skull);

2) visceral.

The cranium serves to protect the brain and sense organs,

According to its structure, the skull can be of two types:

1) platybasal skull (wide base, eye sockets spread apart, where the brain is located)

2) tropibasal skull (the eye sockets are close together, and the brain is located in the back of the cranium (whole-headed and higher teleosts).

1) anterior (transformed in fish into the jaw and sublingual apparatus);

2) posterior (serve as gill arches).

The cranium and visceral skeleton develop independently of each other.

AT HAGIC AND LAMPIRE the skull is primitive. From below and from the sides it is limited by cartilage, its upper part is membranous, formed only by connective tissue. The occipital region is not developed.

The visceral skeleton is represented by visceral arches:

1) front ones, which were transformed into complex system labial cartilages supporting the suction funnel;

2) posterior gill arches (8 arches), which limit the gill sacs and, with the help of four longitudinal jumpers, form the gill lattice.

Cartilaginous fish have a solid cartilaginous skull. It contains the rostral (rostrum), olfactory, orbital, auditory and occipital sections

Ichthyology is a science that studies fish and cyclostomes. Is part general science– Zoology. Its name goes back to the ancient Greeks, who combined two words: fish (ichthyus or ichthys) and word (logos).

The branches of ichthyology are the same as those of most sciences included in zoology. This:

taxonomy, which deals with the classification of fish and cyclostomes;
phylogenetics, whose interest is in identifying fish and explaining their relationships with other life forms;
anatomy is the science of external and internal structure fish and cyclostomes;
physiology interested in the limits of normal life processes in fish and painful deviations from them;
ecology, which studies the interaction of fish with nature and with other living organisms;
biogeography, which answers the questions of the distribution of fish in water bodies around the world.

History of ichthyology

First known to science generalizations related to fish were made by scientists in Ancient India. The first printed work on fish farming and the life of fish was published in the Middle Kingdom even BC, in the 1st millennium. Systematized references, reflections, and discussions about fish are available in the book of Aristotle (lived in the 4th century BC) “History of Animals” " It was he who, in this work, singled out fish into a separate group, described their anatomy, lifestyle and types of reproduction. Further, until the 15th century, no significant research was carried out in the field of ichthyology.

Second half of the 15th century. characterized by the development of many branches of natural science, naturally and ichthyology. Over the next 4 centuries, scientists from different countries have accumulated a lot of different information about fish, which was periodically published in special or popular magazines. In Russia, at this time, fish were studied by N. A. Varpakhovsky, S. Krasheninnikov, I. A. Gyldenstedt, P. S. Pallas, I. I. Lepekhin, K. F. Kessler, E. I. Eichwald and others .

Ichthyology, as a separate science, was separated from zoology in the 19th century. The reason for this decision was the intensive development of fishing. From the 20th century Scientists have developed more advanced and universal methods for studying the growth and age of fish, reproduction, nutrition, distribution, population dynamics and migrations.

Today ichthyology deals with the following questions:

expansion of fish production in different reservoirs;
preserving the fish population in conditions of increasing fish production;
increasing the productivity of fish farms, etc.

Applied ichthyology

Applied ichthyology does not exist today in relation to fishing. At least an officially published work, manual or something similar. There are a number of articles, even a special TV show on the “Hunter and Fisherman” channel, hosted by Andrei Ponomarev (Assistant Professor of the Department of Ichthyology at Moscow State University of Transport and Industry). But all this is fragmentary materials and information that have not yet been compiled into one whole, so necessary for modern fishermen.

Therefore, a large tribe of fishing enthusiasts studies general ichthyology, highlighting everything that concerns fish. They do this creatively, spreading knowledge to their specific bodies of water, which allows them to achieve good success in catching fish and preserving it for posterity.

Application of ichthyology in commercial fisheries

Ichthyology, as a science, considers many different issues. One of the main ones associated with the need to obtain fish for food is fishing. Moreover, she does not look at it from the standpoint of what and how to catch more, but studies the existing raw material base in all corners of the world’s oceans, in different bodies of water, and makes proposals on possible volumes of catching certain fish.

Thanks to ichthyology, many reservoirs where industrial fishing is carried out do not “work” for wear and tear, but, together with fishing, are engaged in its reproduction. This also applies to the seas, in which the efforts of many states, on the recommendations of ichthyologists, temporarily limit the catch of certain species of fish, which allows them to restore their numbers.

Application of ichthyology in fish farming

Fish farming is one of the promising areas in ichthyology. Thanks to the successes of ichthyologists, today there are thousands of artificial ponds and lakes in which grass carp, carp, and silver carp are effectively grown for subsequent sale. This is done by most people according to scientifically developed plans that take into account the peculiarities of the development of fish in specific regions, allowing them to obtain minimal costs for their reproduction and make good profits.

Knowledge about fish farming is also important for amateur fishermen. Knowing how this or that fish is grown and what they feed it, they come to the pay ponds prepared and are always left with a catch.

Ichthyological institutes and companies in Russia and the world

In Russia and other countries, special institutes have been created that deal with ichthyology, in particular, fish, study their populations in the world's oceans, give recommendations on their gentle catch, and on the protection of some endangered species.

Among domestic institutes involved in ichthyology:

All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO);
Polar Research Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanography named after N. M. Knipovich (PINRO);
Pacific Fisheries Research Center;
KamchatNIRO (Kamchatka Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography);
Far Eastern Institute of Marine Biology RAS;
Institute of Inland Water Biology RAS;
Murmansk Marine Biological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences;
Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas named after A. O. Kovalevsky;
Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences;
Azov Research Institute of Fisheries (AzNIIRH).

Of the world's ichthyological centers, the most famous is the Institute of Marine Ecology in California (USA). There is such a center in Ukraine - the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences.

Ichthyology of fish

Carp

Carp is a type of river carp, specially domesticated by ichthyologists for breeding in artificial ponds. Represents the carp family, belongs to the subspecies of ray-finned fish.

Carp is an omnivorous fish with a yellow-green or brown color. It has a thick, moderately elongated body, covered with smooth, large, tightly fitting golden-brown scales. Ichthyologists have bred mirror carp, which is practically devoid of scales.

Carp lives in stakes, lakes, reservoirs, and rivers. Prefers slowly flowing, standing or quiet waters, areas with a slightly silted but hard clay bottom. Prefers to spend the winter in deep holes. During this period, a thick layer of mucus forms on the fish’s body, it slows down its breathing, and completely stops feeding.

Pike

Pike forms the pike family, is a predator, common in freshwater bodies of North America and the European continent. It lives, more often, near the coast, preferring areas with aquatic thickets, stagnant or weakly flowing waters.

Pike grows up to one and a half meters in length and 35 kg in weight, although 8-kilogram, meter-long individuals are more common. It has a torpedo-shaped body, a large head with a wide mouth. The color of the fish is changeable and adapts to the underwater vegetation surrounding it. The body is darker above, with brown or olive spots on the sides forming transverse stripes. Paired fins are orange, unpaired fins are yellowish-gray, less often brown, but with dark spots. There are reservoirs where silver pike live.

crucian carp

Crucian carp is from the carp family, from the genus of ray-finned fish. It has: a tall body, thickened in the back and slightly compressed on the sides; smooth and large scales. The color depends on the place where the fish lives. In ichthyology, five species of crucian carp are known; the most famous are gold and silver. The first can grow up to half a meter in length and weigh 3 kg; the second is more modest, respectively, 40 cm and 2 kg.

Crucian carp lives exclusively in low-lying and swampy rivers and lakes, in ponds. In mountainous areas, fish are very rare. Crucian carp is a very tenacious fish, which is why it is often used as live bait by fishermen when hunting for pike.

Zander

Pike perch is a representative of the genus of ray-finned fish and belongs to the perch family. There are two types of fish known in Russian reservoirs: common pike perch and Volga pike perch.

Common pike perch is represented in Asian waters, Eastern Europe, lives in rivers belonging to the basins of the Aral, Black, Baltic, Azov, Caspian seas, lakes Balkhash and Issyk-Kul and other lakes. It can grow up to a meter in length and weigh 10…15 kg.

Volga pike perch (otherwise known as bersh) is not so widely distributed. It is found in the rivers of the Black, Azov, and Caspian seas. It grows to a maximum length of 45 cm and gains a weight of 2.5...1.2 kg. It differs from the common pike perch in the absence of fangs.

Grayling

Grayling is one of the noble fish, belongs to the salmon family and forms its own subfamily of grayling. A distinctive feature of the fish is the large fin on the back, which in mature males reaches the adipose fin, sometimes the caudal fin.

The grayling has a uniform dark gray back, with black spots of various shapes scattered on its sides. The Siberian, Baikal, Amur, Lower Amur and yellow-spotted species of fish have an additional reddish large spot located above the ventral fins.

Grayling prefers mountain rivers, cold, clean water, oligotrophic lakes located at elevations no higher than 2.3...2 km. In total, six species of grayling and seven subspecies are known. Among them there are fish that grow up to 5...6 kg (European, Mongolian grayling), there are dwarf individuals (fish in Siberia, in lakes located high in the mountains), which remain with a juvenile coloration all their lives.

Ide

Ide is a fish representing the carp family. At a young age it is called roach. It lives in water bodies throughout Europe (with the exception of the southern part), and is found in Yakutia and Siberia. In adulthood they can be 90 cm long and weigh 8...6 kg. Lives 20...15 years.

The ide has a thick body, with a slightly shortened head and a small, oblique mouth. The color on the back is bluish-black, on the sides - whitish, on the belly - silver; fins: dark on the tail and back, red on the sides and bottom. The eyes are yellow, sometimes greenish-yellow.

In appearance, the ide can be easily confused with a chub. Prefers to live in rivers and flowing lakes. Does not like fast, cold, mountain rivers. The fish is hardy, easily adapts to temperature, and does not hibernate in winter.

Literature on ichthyology

The science of ichthyology has come a long way in development. It is marked by a number of scientific and educational works released in different times, with different views on fish, their place in the world around them, etc. Today, for fishermen and everyone who wants to become more closely involved with the world of fish, we can recommend the following books on ichthyology.

ICHTHYOLOGY (from the Greek ιχϑύς - fish and...logy), the science of fish and related cyclostomes, their diversity, distribution, structure, lifestyle, evolution, practical significance. The specifics of ichthyology are determined largely by the habitat of fish in the aquatic environment, where their study requires special methodological approaches that differ from the methods of zoology of terrestrial animals. This concerns assessing the species composition, abundance and productivity of fish in a particular body of water, studying their nutrition, growth, development, reproduction and migration, identifying environmental factors affecting the ichthyofauna, determining the role of fish in ecosystems, etc. As an independent science, ichthyology formed in the 2nd half of the 19th century.

Fish are already found among images of animals from the Paleolithic era (for example, migrating European salmon). On ancient Egyptian reliefs (3rd-2nd millennium BC) images of fish were found, the species characteristics of which correspond to representatives of modern African freshwater ichthyofauna. Fish Knowledge ancient world Aristotle was the first to generalize. In the “History of Animals” (4th century BC), he mentioned more than 100 fish of the Mediterranean, provided data on their structure, way of life, and determined the place of fish in his classification of the animal kingdom. During the Middle Ages, ichthyological knowledge was supplemented with data mainly of an applied nature. Great geographical discoveries have significantly enriched the understanding of the world's diversity of fish. The summary of the French physician G. Rondelet “De piscibus marinis” (vol. 1-2, 1554-55) contains descriptions of about 250 species. In 1686, English researchers F. Willoughby and J. Ray published the work “Historia piscium,” which described 420 species of fish. The Swedish naturalist P. Artedi in the book “Ichthyologia” (1738) divided fish into 4 orders, 45 genera, and described more than 200 species. C. Linnaeus, who laid down the principles of modern systematics, in the 10th edition of Systema naturae (1758), separated fish from aquatic mammals (whales, dolphins, sirens), and classified about 500 species of fish. In Russia, D. G. Messerschmidt began to study fish (at the direction of Peter I; expedition to Siberia, 1720-27), and then S. P. Krasheninnikov, G. V. Steller and other participants in the Great Northern Expedition (1733-43) and naturalists of the Academic expeditions (1768-74): I. I. Lepyokhin, I. A. Gildenshtedt, V. F. Zuev and others. A milestone generalization was the summary of P. S. Pallas “Zoographia Rosso-Asiatica”, which describes more than 240 fish species in Russia (vol. 3, 1814).

An important stage in the development of domestic ichthyology was the creation in 1933 of the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO). In the last quarter of the 20th century, the number of institutions where ichthyological research was carried out in our country exceeded 250. Ichthyology is widely represented in the institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences (including the Zoological Institute, the Institute of Ecology and Evolution, the Institute of Oceanology, the Murmansk Marine Biological Institute, the Institute of Marine Biology, Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology). A number of special departments and laboratories have been created in the country's universities (the first department of ichthyology is at Moscow State University, 1940). Intensive research in the field of ichthyology is also carried out abroad: in the USA, Canada, Japan, Great Britain, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Chile, China and other countries. Since 1973, Congresses of European Ichthyologists have been held. Issues of international fisheries, including the allocation of production quotas, are regulated on a scientific basis by bilateral and international commissions and treaties. The development of modern ichthyology is largely due to increased technical equipment (scuba gear, bathyscaphe, video equipment, etc.), which made it possible to observe fish in their natural environment, track the movements of individual tagged individuals and entire herds (telemetry, hydroacoustics, registration from satellites, etc.), carry out selective harvesting, process large amounts of data, etc. Depletion of fish stocks as a result of overfishing, anthropogenic deformations of ecosystems (pollution, construction of hydraulic structures, land reclamation, etc.) gives the research of ichthyologists particular relevance. The arsenal is being improved experimental work, significant progress has been made in the study of various forms of fish behavior (schooling, migratory, food-procuring, spawning, chemo and electrical orientation), are being developed scientific basis control their behavior. Significant advances have been made in fish selection, reproduction and aquaculture. Measures are being taken to protect fish resources. Various consequences of fish introductions are being studied. An important problem of modern ichthyology remains the construction of a natural fish system, including taking into account data molecular biology, study of distribution and population dynamics, preparation of keys, atlases of fish. In the modern world ichthyofauna there are 25-28 thousand species of fish.

The results of ichthyological research are published in a number of specialized and general biological publications (more than 150): in Russia, the “Zoological Journal” (from 1916; until 1932 - under the name “Russian Zoological Journal”), “Ichthyology Issues” (from 1953), as well as “ Marine Biology" (since 1975), "Biology of Inland Waters" (since 1995), etc., in Canada - "Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences" (under different names published since 1901), in Japan - “Japanese Journal of Ichthyology” (since 1950); Some of the leading modern journals are the Journal of Fish Biology (since 1969, UK) and Fish and Fisheries (since 2000, USA). A large array of ichthyological information is contained on many specialized sites, for example A Global Information System on Fishes (http://www.fish-base.org).

Lit.: Suvorov E.K. Fundamentals of ichthyology. 2nd edition M., 1948; Berg L. S. System of fish-like and fish, living and fossil. 2nd ed. M.; L., 1955; Borisov P. G. Scientific and commercial research in marine and fresh water bodies. 2nd ed. M., 1964; Pravdin I. F. Guide to the study of fish (mainly freshwater). 4th ed. M., 1966; Nikolsky G.V. Particular ichthyology. 3rd edition M., 1971; Contemporary issues ichthyology. M., 1981; The freshwater fishes of Europe. Wiesbaden, 1986-1987. Vol. 1-9; Rare and endangered animals. Fish. M., 1994; Eschmeyer W. N. Catalog of fishes. S.F., 1998. Vol. 1-3; Matthews W. J. Patterns in freshwater fish ecology. N.Y., 1998; Pavlov D. S., Shishkin V. S. 275th anniversary Russian Academy Sciences and domestic ichthyology // Questions of ichthyology. 1999. T. 39. No. 6; Atlas of freshwater fish of Russia: V 2 vol. M., 2003; Nelson J. S. Fishes of the world. 4th ed. Hoboken, 2006; Barton M. Bond’s biology of fishes. 3rd ed. Belmont, 2007.

D. S. Pavlov, V. S. Shishkin.

The science of ichthyology is a branch of zoology. Ichthyology studies the diversity of the fish world. About 30,000 different species of fish can be found in the world's oceans. They live in rivers, seas and oceans and, of course, need close study.

Ichthyologist - who is he?

An ichthyologist studies and describes the life of fish. A specialist working in this field studies:

evolutionary development;
the structure of fish and their anatomical features;
characteristics of reproduction;
forms of life activity;
and much more.

But most main goal An ichthyologist is the study of commercial fish species. After all, only an ichthyologist will be able to thoroughly understand all the intricacies of the reproduction of a particular breed of fish in a certain area.

Only an ichthyologist will tell you how to properly breed and keep fish, when and how much fish should be caught to comply with the standards of rational fish farming and fishing.

Ichthyologists also participate in the development of technological processes for preparing the catch and its further processing for the needs of the food, feed and medical industries.

Where do ichthyologists meet?

Various fishing vessels

At various fishing and fish canning floating bases, ichthyologists study catch statistics, age and size-weight characteristics of the fish caught. Also, consideration of the issue of feeding activity and food composition is of interest to the ichthyologist in this case.

Ponds and natural bodies of water

Here the ichthyologist deals with issues related to fish breeding and the organization of artificial spawning grounds.

Fish hatcheries

There, the presence of an ichthyologist is necessary in the field of incubation of eggs and hatching of juvenile fish.

Research institutes and zoos

An ichthyologist working at a research institute is engaged in breeding new breeds of commercial fish, as well as closely studying existing ones.

Open seas and oceans

Going on various business trips, an ichthyologist has the opportunity to study the life of fish in natural conditions, as well as search for new species.

Who can become an ichthyologist

Ichthyologist is a very interesting profession that requires the owner to develop mechanical, figurative and logical memory.

Good sports training and good physical health are also necessary for a representative of this profession in order to withstand with dignity all the hardships and hardships of life on fishing vessels far from the shore.

Apparently this is why it is almost impossible to meet women among ichthyologists. It is unlikely that even one of the fair sex could overcome the difficulties that an ichthyologist has to face every day!