FISH ON LINE

A draft guide to learning and teaching ichthyology

using the FishBase information system[1]

by

Daniel Pauly[2]

Rainer Froese[3]

and

Maria Lourdes Palomares[2]

Abstract:

This guide provides a structure and case study material for a computer-based course in ichthyology for upper undergraduate and graduates students in biology or environmental science.

The key resource made accessible through this guide is FishBase, a large database on the biology of fish, available on CD-ROM (for the Windows operating system) and on the Internet (www.fishbase.org/search.cfm).

Following brief introductions to ichthyology and to FishBase, and to the use of the latter to teach the former, the key aspects of ichthyology are presented in five chapters covering Evolution and classification; Morphology and biodiversity; Reproduction; Physiology; and Fishes as part of ecosystems.

For each of these chapters, one or several ‘Exercises’ are presented describing how the relevant topics are covered in FishBase and describing how to access that information. ‘Tasks for the Student’ are provided, along with Internet links to relevant sources other than FishBase.

It is anticipated that this guide will improve as our experience with FishBase as a teaching tool improves. Thus, a final chapter describes how users (both students and teachers) may contribute to the frequent updates that are anticipated for this guide, and to completing the coverage by FishBase of the biology of fishes.

CONTENTS

1.      Introduction

1.1.   What is ichthyology?

1.2.   What is FishBase?

1.3.   Why use one to teach the other?

2.      Evolution and Classification

2.1.   Phylogeny and classification

2.2.   Darwin and natural selection

2.3.   The species concept

2.3.1.      What’s in a name?

2.3.2.      Subspecies vs. populations

2.3.3.      Within-species diversity

2.3.4.      Common names

2.3.5.      Exercise 2.1

3.      Morphology and Biodiversity

3.1.   Diversity of Indo-Pacific shore fishes

3.1.1.      Exercise 3.1

3.2.   Diversity of shapes and sizes

3.2.1.      Exercise 3.2

3.2.2.      Table 3.1

3.3.   Diversity of brain sizes

3.3.1.      Exercise 3.3

3.4.   Diversity of growth and mortality

3.4.1.      Exercise 3.4

3.5.   Diversity of habitats: inferences from occurrence records

3.5.1.      Exercise 3.5

3.6.   Diversity of colors and sexual selection

3.6.1.      Exercise 3.6

3.7.   Diversity of food and feeding habits

3.7.1.      Exercise 3.7

3.7.2.      Table 3.2

4.      Reproduction

4.1.   The reproductive load concept

4.2.   Small eggs and no worries

4.2.1.      Exercise 4.1

4.3.   Large eggs and parental investment

4.3.1.      Exercise 4.2

4.4.   Variation on the basic themes

4.4.1.      Exercise 4.3

5.      Physiology

5.1.   Metabolism, gills and size

5.1.1.      Table 5.1

5.1.2.      Exercise 5.1

5.2.   Food consumption

5.2.1.      Exercise 5.2

5.3.   Estimating food consumption from empirical models

5.3.1.      Figure 5.1

5.3.2.      Exercise 5.3

6.      Fish as Part of Exploited Ecosystems

6.1.   Food webs and trophic levels

6.2.   Trophic levels and sizes of fish

6.3.   Formal description of food webs

6.3.1.      Exercise 6.1

7.      Contributing to FishBase

8.      Acknowledgements

9.      References

10.  Appendices

10.1.                    Appendix A: Ichthyology resources on the net

10.2.                    Appendix B: fish-related web resources for UBC students