Ichthyology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish, including bony fish (Osteichthyes), cartilaginous fish (Chondrichthyes), and jawless fish (Agnatha). According to FishBase, 33,400 species of fish had been described as of October 2016, with approximately 250 new species described each year.
The study of fish dates from the Upper Paleolithic Revolution (with the advent of “high culture”). The science of ichthyology was developed in several interconnecting epochs, each with various significant advancements.
The study of fish receives its origins from humans’ desire to feed, clothe, and equip themselves with useful implements. According to Michael Barton, a prominent ichthyologist and professor at Centre College, “the earliest ichthyologists were hunters and gatherers who had learned how to obtain the most useful fish, where to obtain them in abundance and at what times they might be the most available”. Early cultures manifested these insights in abstract and identifiable artistic expressions.
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