Ichthyology, a subset of zoology, is the study of fishes. Zoology is a branch of biology, and ichthyology incorporates many elements of biology in its studies. When people refer to the study of fishes, grammarians might note this as incorrect. It is correct because multiple species of fish are referred to as fishes. Modern ichthyology began in the 18 century, with the work of Peter Andreti and Carl Linnaeus. Together they gathered all the previously written data on species of fishes and set up a way to order fish by species, genus, family, and kingdom. Today, about 25,000 known species of fishes are classified according to this system. Ichthyology is a dynamic field, with about 100-200 new discoveries of fishes each year. Along with classification of fishes, ichthyology also looks at the evolution of fish species, behavior of fishes, and environmental impact on specific species. Ichthyology is a companion to other fields like ecology, marine biology, oceanography and climatology, since information about fish can lead to greater understanding of the environment or other species of plants and animals. Students with a bachelor’s degree in zoology or biology frequently pursue graduate studies in ichthyology in order to work at better, and usually higher paying positions. Graduate programs in ichthyology may vary according to the focus of each university. Ichthyologists often advise students to carefully research programs and apply to the ones that most match their areas of interest. A fledgling ichthyology student who wants to study fishes from an environmental perspective might not be satisfied with a school emphasizing the molecular biology of fish. The technical encyclopaedia of ichthyology is the compilation of above 14000 technical terms and topics on ichthyology and its many subsections and forms a valuable reference manual for researchers, teachers and students.
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