Ichthyology -- help me out

[Targhee]

DS has requested to study ichthyology. He is a fish nut - loves fishing (catch and release), loves all animals but fish especially (fresh and marine, big and small), and is pretty science savvy. We did RSO bio 2 last year, Seaside Naturalist and other marine biology the year before, and he's done lots of reading on fish independently, watched all of Blue Planet and River Monsters (and others), and has spent time in lakes/rivers/ocean fishing and observing . Ecology is good, but not oceanography (it was his science Olympiad event for the last two years, he's tired of it and it's "not fishy").

 

Now, I am fairly certain there's no ichthyology courses out there prior to college, so I'm not looking for that (if you know of one, please tell me though!!). I am hoping for resources on the study of fish - anatomy, physiology, natural history, behavioral ecology, evolutionary history/phylogeny, even sportsman resources (high quality). He's 2e, with ADHD, and can handle high school plus levels of input but not output. He's not finished Algebra either.

 

Help!

~ His excited wildlife-biologist mother who feels I've given him all I know of...

 

ETA: DS is 11

Edited July 17, 2016 by Targhee

[Epicurean]

Has he read Your Inner Fish? Or maybe What a Fish Knows?

[Dmmetler]

You can always join ASIH! (American Society of Icthyologists and Herpetologists). It's $45/yr for an e-journal student membership and $35 for an additional family member. If you want to go to JMIH (which is in Austin TX next year), I strongly suggest adding the 2nd family member so that a parent can pay member rates. I don't think ASIH has a Pre-Baccalaureate program the way SSAR does, but they've been very nice to DD over the last three years at the meetings. Last Jan 1, they had a big discount on membership, but 2016 was also their 100th anniversary, so that may have been a one-time deal

http://www.asih.org

 

If he's interesred in sharks, Rays, etc, AES's student membership is $25. Again, they're nice folks.

 

In general, what we've found is good is professional journals, field guides (be aware, the comprehensive ones for a single state are usually over $100. DD tried to get a "Fishes of TN" one at this year's raffle, and when I looked it up afterwards, I found that it's a $150 book-she wanted it for our aquatic biology explorations this year) and graduate/professional books. That's where you have the anatomy and physiology books that are more species specific and have enough detail, the graduate and upper division textbooks, and the really awesome academic press books with a lot of detail about special topics. Don't worry about whether he fully understands it or his prior math/science background. Give him access to the content, and the rest will follow.

 

Locally, look for aquarist groups and for state level professional groups.

 

If you're interested in social media, I can let you know some of the Icthyologists DD follows on Twitter, many of whom she's met in person (and seem receptive to her, so probably would accept another 11 yr old).

[Targhee]

Has he read Your Inner Fish? Or maybe What a Fish Knows?

What a Fish Knows looks wonderful - thank you!

 

I'll look at Your Inner Fish, too.

[Targhee]

You can always join ASIH! (American Society of Icthyologists and Herpetologists). It's $45/yr for an e-journal student membership and $35 for an additional family member. If you want to go to JMIH (which is in Austin TX next year), I strongly suggest adding the 2nd family member so that a parent can pay member rates. I don't think ASIH has a Pre-Baccalaureate program the way SSAR does, but they've been very nice to DD over the last three years at the meetings. Last Jan 1, they had a big discount on membership, but 2016 was also their 100th anniversary, so that may have been a one-time deal

http://www.asih.org

 

If he's interesred in sharks, Rays, etc, AES's student membership is $25. Again, they're nice folks.

 

In general, what we've found is good is professional journals, field guides (be aware, the comprehensive ones for a single state are usually over $100. DD tried to get a "Fishes of TN" one at this year's raffle, and when I looked it up afterwards, I found that it's a $150 book-she wanted it for our aquatic biology explorations this year) and graduate/professional books. That's where you have the anatomy and physiology books that are more species specific and have enough detail, the graduate and upper division textbooks, and the really awesome academic press books with a lot of detail about special topics. Don't worry about whether he fully understands it or his prior math/science background. Give him access to the content, and the rest will follow.

 

Locally, look for aquarist groups and for state level professional groups.

 

If you're interested in social media, I can let you know some of the Icthyologists DD follows on Twitter, many of whom she's met in person (and seem receptive to her, so probably would accept another 11 yr old).

Thank you - professional societies never crossed my mind, but it is a good idea and knowing your dd's reception by the groups is encouraging. And I believe he'd eat up the journals (and yes, he's got a soft spot for elasmobranchs).

 

Thank you too for encouraging the use of texts which may be beyond his perceived understanding. We should probably just go for them. (BTW he's poured over my undergrad herp text - I didn't take ichthyology - and the mammalogy text).

 

I'm concerned about reaching out to groups for in person stuff because, well, even with his interest and knowledge base, his ADHD gets on the way of sustained conversations with most anyone. I don't want to burn any bridges or prematurely waste opportunities... Does that make sense? Maybe I'm neurotic about it. He wants to get his dive card (he's been talking about it since age 4) but I'm still nervous about the serious ramifications of impulsive behavior while diving...

 

At any rate, thank you for all suggestions!

[Dmmetler]

You also may want to check out the Gills club-it's a group of female researchers into Elasmobranch biology who do outreach with middle school girls-locally in their area, but they also have an online (and print) newsletter that he may find neat.

 

Ocearch has quite a few sharks they are tracking. DD follows them on Twitter, but I believe they also have an app.

 

There may be open-access Icthyolpgy journals as well. I know there are a couple of herpetology ones, and PLOS probably has ichthyology stuff as well. That's a good way to see if he enjoys that kind of content before subscribing.

[Dmmetler]

Another thought-has he done any captive husbandry yet? That's been a big part of DD's herp education, and it's part of what she'll be doing for our cobbled together freshwater biology book. To avoid too many long-term pets, I'd focus on local freshwater species (or common bait fish) and do the catch, observe and keep (and log/take notes) then return to the same spot you found them in a few weeks. This is also where making friends with hobbyists can help-your DS could go and get experience maintaining/testing elaborate saltwater setups, but not have to have one at home. If you can find an aquarium specialty shop that he can just hang out in, he'd probably learn a lot there (he may already do that) or try to find when the one local employee who knows anything works at your local Petco. DD quite enjoys talking to aquarists. There are also probably some good aquarist hobby forums. The way I manage those is to get an account myself, read for awhile, and then,if it seems fairly safe, ask the moderators about DD sharing an account, and then stepping back. She first started accessing the online stuff on snake keeper boards at age 7, and it was a help because she could do it in small bursts (and I could sit with her and help moderate from this side). It was also through such boards that she started to find out about the local/regional stuff.

 

I also assume he's found Fish Tank Kings and Fish Tank Wars? Those deal more with the logistics of creating big, elaborate tanks, and less on the fish, but some of the things they talk about he might find interesting (or, conversely, may enjoy picking them apart, which is what DD tends to do with herp shows, and given the number of elasmobranch biologists tweeting during Shark Week, seems to be a common interest).

 

I understand the fears about getting out there, but honestly, the thing that has allowed my DD to move to the next level is exactly that-getting out there and talking to people, live and online. I won't say it hasn't had it's hiccups, but it's been far more positive than negative.

[displace]

Does he want to do dissection? He can compare anatomy between vertebrates, invertebrates. Even if just in books. Or study species and compared them with different oxygen obtaining methods. Study of deep ocean creatures maybe or ocean mammals. Of course it can be expanded to studying ecosystems and specific adaptations, environment, social reliance, etc.

[Reefgazer]

You can pick up an ichthyology text on Amazon for cheap.  For labs, I'd investigate your local aquarium or fishery and see what they have to offer, dissect a fish, study fish physiology (change temperature of water and count opercular movements),  build a seine net and seine a local lake or river and I.D. the fish you catch (he can learn to create his own dichotomous key), gather scales from different types of fish and compare and contrast them (ctenoid, ganoid, placoid, etc...), study how fish morphology correlates with feeding mode, study fish evolution, and relate that to vertebrate evolution using Your Inner Fish.