Ichthyologists

Ichthyologists are the professional scientists devoted to the study of fishes. As a separate branch of zoology, ichthyology consists of studying the various aspects of fishes related to their physiology, diversity, diet, behaviour, and evolution. It is a highly specialized field of biology dedicated to the study of marine and freshwater fishes. Ichthyology as a separate discipline began evolving from as early as the Late Stone Age. The necessity of studying fishes and their behaviors arose from the desire of human beings to gather an abundance of fishes for eating during the ancient times. The Greek polymath Aristotle, had accurately described 117 species of Mediterranean fishes, and had specified the differences between the anatomy of fishes and other marine mammals. In the modern era, ichthyologists venture out in the fields collecting samples and raw data which is then later analyzed in the laboratory. Since fishes follow a seasonal cycle, ichthyologists collect data during particular times of the year to study the behaviour, diet, and breeding patterns of the fish. This vast collection of data is then painstakingly analyzed during the rest of the year in laboratories. Marine biology and limnology are related fields. Read on to discover about the persona and professional lives of various famous ichthyologists from all over the world through their biographies and timelines.