Course Description:
This course will explore the diversity of fish species, their adaptations to the environment, and how the ecosystem influences their numbers and vice versa. Practical training will be offered both in the field and in the laboratory. The key issues to be examined are: Classification of fishes; Morphology, anatomy, and key adaptations to the aquatic environment; Environmental effects on the distribution and numbers of fish; Population structure and diversification in fish communities; Factors controlling the distribution, movements, numbers and age composition of a fish population; Overview of the key taxa of salt- and freshwater fishes of the northern hemisphere
Prerequisites
- Required preparation LÍF311G Ecology
- Students should have general computer and numeric literacy. It is recommended that students be concurrently enrolled in Fish Biology LIF503M
Learning outcomes
By the end of this course the students should be able to demonstrate familiarity with
- fish anatomy including fin and jaw adaptations for swimming and feeding
- basic diversity in all major ecosystems
- distinctions between elasmobranch and teleost fishes; as well as understanding of:
- the biotic and abiotic factors influencing fish distribution and abundance
- reproduction, early life history and year-class strength
- growth and mortality processes as they affect abundance
- zoogeography of fishes.
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