Ichthyology conducts research, research training and graduate education on the world’s fishes – their global diversity, evolution, geography, genomics, morphology, conservation, ecology and behavior. These studies are grounded in research collections of 660,000 preserved and osteological specimens and 9,500 tissue samples, which provide a major world resource for genomic and molecular systematics of fishes. Curator Ed Wiley focuses on higher level evolutionary relationships of fishes and the theory and practice of phylogenetic systematics. Other researchers in Ichthyology study the evolution and diversity of fossil and living fishes.

From the Biodiversity Institute Blogs

Ichthyology collections Waste Not, Want Not

Like any good ichthyologist, I keep saltwater fish.  When I lost a Banggai cardinalfish recently, how did I deal with this tragedy? Not by flushing it or starting a pet cemetery, but by turning...

Posted in Lab Notes
In the Field - In the City

Summertime means summer fieldwork for many academic scientists, but some researchers skip the far-flung places in favor of urban habitats close to home. There are plenty of places to look at...

Posted in The Science Life

Search our preserved collection and our tissue collection online.

The entire collection may also be searched online via our DiGIR Portal or FishNet2.

Ichthyology at a Glance

(Fishes)
Established: 1864
Collection Strengths: Geographically and taxonomically diverse tissue collection of 9,500 fishes: 660,000 preserved fishes with an emphasis on the midwest: significant osteological preparations.
Research Strengths:
Evolution and systematics of teleost fishes.
Curator in Charge:
Edward Wiley 785.864.4038
Collection Manager(s):
Andrew Bentley 785.864.3863