ichthyology

American  

[ik-thee-ol-uh-jee] / ˌɪk θiˈɒl ə dʒi /

noun

1. the branch of zoology dealing with fishes.

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ichthyology British  

/ ˌɪkθɪəˈlɒdʒɪk, ˌɪkθɪˈɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. the study of the physiology, history, economic importance, etc, of fishes

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ichthyology Scientific  

/ ĭk′thē-ŏl′ə-jē /

1. The scientific study of fish.

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Other Word Forms

• ichthyologic adjective
• ichthyological adjective
• ichthyologically adverb
• ichthyologist noun

Etymology

Origin of ichthyology

First recorded in 1640–50; ichthyo- + -logy

Explanation

When you want to get schooled on how schools of fish live, breath, and migrate, you're diving right into what zoologists specializing in the study of fish call ichthyology. Strap on your scuba gear and dive to the bottom of the ocean and you'll be in a sweet spot for any ichthyology expert. With its origins in the Greek word ikhthus, meaning "fish" and the suffix -ology, or "the study of," ichthyology stretches as far back as the Stone Age — when studying fish meant having something to bring home for dinner.

Example Sentences

“Large-scale fish kills are becoming more frequent as our climate changes,” Martin Grosell, a professor of ichthyology at the University of Miami, said.

From New York Times • Jul. 12, 2023

Katherine Maslenikov, the museum’s ichthyology collections manager, was hesitant when Wood first approached her with the idea.

From Scientific American • May 18, 2022

“It is very strange, and it’s the talk of the town among us California ichthyologists,” or zoologists who study fish, said Bill Ludt, assistant curator of ichthyology at the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 16, 2021

In 1955, he received a doctorate in ichthyology from the University of Hawaii and held positions at the University of Miami and the University of Puerto Rico before returning to Hawaii in 1965.

From Washington Post • Apr. 30, 2020

However poor his descriptions, he nevertheless first recognized the necessity of multiplying genera in ichthyology, and that at a time when the thing was far more difficult than now.

From Louis Agassiz: His Life and Correspondence by Agassiz, Louis