I
ICHTHYOFAUNA
Selene Ortiz-Burgos
Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza, Universidad
Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Delegación
Iztapalapa, DF, México
Synonyms
Fish assemblages
Definition
Ichthyofauna refers to assemblages of fish in a waterbody
or zoogeographic region. More broadly defined,
ichthyofauna refers to the aggregate of fishes inhabiting
the earth at any given period of time (The Great Soviet
Encyclopedia, 2010; Collins English Dictionary, 2013).
Characteristics
The fishes are the most numerous and diverse of the major
vertebrate groups, exhibiting great diversity in their morphology, biology, and habitat use. They comprise slightly
more than one-half of the total number of 54,711 recognized living vertebrate species; there are valid descriptions
of an estimated 27,977 species of fish (Nelson, 2006).
Many fishes are recreationally and commercially important and support the economy of many nations. Of the living species of fish, 58 % are marine, 41 % freshwater,
and 1 % migrate between freshwater and saltwater
(Moyle and Cech, 2000). Although freshwater covers only
1 % of the earth’s surface, 40 % of all fishes live in
freshwater. Most marine species of fish (77.5 %) live
in coastal and littoral waters (Wootton, 1992). The abundance and distribution of ichthyofauna are affected by
both biotic factors (e.g., schooling behavior, habitat selection, and interrelationships with other organisms) and
physicochemical factors (Krebs, 1994). Thus, the ichthyofaunal species found locally in waterbodies depend on
a wide range of environmental and biotic conditions.
Distinct latitude patterns of ichthyofauna are also
apparent, with the greatest diversity of species found in
tropical regions and decreasing diversity observed toward
the poles.
Bibliography
Collins English Dictionary, 2013. Ichthyofauna. http://www.
collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/ichthyofauna (accessed
June 30, 2013).
Krebs, C., 1994. Ecology. The Experimental Analysis of
Distribution and Abundance, 4th edn. New York: Harper Collins
College.
Moyle, P. B., and Cech, J. J., Jr., 2000. Fishes: An Introduction to
Ichthyology, 4th edn. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.
Nelson, J. S., 2006. Fishes of the World, 5th edn. Hoboken: John
Wiley.
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd edn. (1970–1979), 2010.
Farmington Hills: The Gale Group.
Wootton, R. J., 1992. Fish Ecology. London: Blackie and Son.
Cross-references
Anadromous
Fish Assemblages
Ichthyoplankton
M.J. Kennish (ed.), Encyclopedia of Estuaries, DOI 10.1007/978-94-017-8801-4,
© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2016
ICHTHYOFAUNA
Selene Ortiz-Burgos
Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza, Universidad
Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Delegación
Iztapalapa, DF, México
Synonyms
Fish assemblages
Definition
Ichthyofauna refers to assemblages of fish in a waterbody
or zoogeographic region. More broadly defined,
ichthyofauna refers to the aggregate of fishes inhabiting
the earth at any given period of time (The Great Soviet
Encyclopedia, 2010; Collins English Dictionary, 2013).
Characteristics
The fishes are the most numerous and diverse of the major
vertebrate groups, exhibiting great diversity in their morphology, biology, and habitat use. They comprise slightly
more than one-half of the total number of 54,711 recognized living vertebrate species; there are valid descriptions
of an estimated 27,977 species of fish (Nelson, 2006).
Many fishes are recreationally and commercially important and support the economy of many nations. Of the living species of fish, 58 % are marine, 41 % freshwater,
and 1 % migrate between freshwater and saltwater
(Moyle and Cech, 2000). Although freshwater covers only
1 % of the earth’s surface, 40 % of all fishes live in
freshwater. Most marine species of fish (77.5 %) live
in coastal and littoral waters (Wootton, 1992). The abundance and distribution of ichthyofauna are affected by
both biotic factors (e.g., schooling behavior, habitat selection, and interrelationships with other organisms) and
physicochemical factors (Krebs, 1994). Thus, the ichthyofaunal species found locally in waterbodies depend on
a wide range of environmental and biotic conditions.
Distinct latitude patterns of ichthyofauna are also
apparent, with the greatest diversity of species found in
tropical regions and decreasing diversity observed toward
the poles.
Bibliography
Collins English Dictionary, 2013. Ichthyofauna. http://www.
collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/ichthyofauna (accessed
June 30, 2013).
Krebs, C., 1994. Ecology. The Experimental Analysis of
Distribution and Abundance, 4th edn. New York: Harper Collins
College.
Moyle, P. B., and Cech, J. J., Jr., 2000. Fishes: An Introduction to
Ichthyology, 4th edn. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.
Nelson, J. S., 2006. Fishes of the World, 5th edn. Hoboken: John
Wiley.
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd edn. (1970–1979), 2010.
Farmington Hills: The Gale Group.
Wootton, R. J., 1992. Fish Ecology. London: Blackie and Son.
Cross-references
Anadromous
Fish Assemblages
Ichthyoplankton
M.J. Kennish (ed.), Encyclopedia of Estuaries, DOI 10.1007/978-94-017-8801-4,
© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2016