AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The students will be provided with the tools to characterize the main marine and freshwater fishes families from a systematic, ecological and ethological point of view, with a particular focus on the adaptations to the different environments. A panoramic view of the problematic interaction between fishes and anthropic activities in terms of exploitation will be given.

PREREQUISITES

To effectively address the module contents, basic knowledge related to the zoology of invertebrates and ecology is necessary.

TEACHING METHODS

The module consists of frontal lessons. Attendance at lessons, delivered through multimedia presentations, is strongly recommended. During the lessons, samples of fish fauna from the DISTAV museum collection will be shown with the aim of increase the understanding of the morphological characters of the described fish families. The laboratory exercises and field activities included in the Bentonology module will also deal with fish fauna.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The program includes the presentation and discussion of the following topics:

• Evolution of fish

• Main anatomical, morphological, and ecological characteristics of agnaths, cartilaginous fishes and bony fishes

• Reproductive strategies of fishes and fundamentals of larval ecology

• Main fish parasites and their role in the evolution of fishes and in the structuring of fish communities

• Biodiversity, adaptations, and morphological, ecological, and behavioral characterization of fish communities in the main aquatic ecosystems (open waters, hard bottom, soft bottom, plant-dominated environments, caves, dee-sea, coral reefs, cold waters, fresh waters)

• Anthropic impact on fish communities

• Evaluation of the main fish families of commercial interest, notes on the history and relevance of aquaculture

• Techniques for studying, evaluating and monitoring fish fauna

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

All the slides used during the lessons and other teaching material will be available on AulaWeb.

LESSONS

LESSONS START

For lessons start and timetable go to the link: https://easyacademy.unige.it/portalestudenti/

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam consists of an oral test and is aimed at evaluating the knowledge of the fundamental elements of the subject and the ability to make connections between the various topics. The final grade is given by the arithmetic mean between the grades of the 2 modules of MARINE BIODIVERSITY and ADAPTATIONS. The exam can be taken independently from the Bentonology module. 

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Details on how to prepare the exam and the level of depth required for each topic will be provided during the lessons. The exam will focus on the topics covered during the lectures and will have the aim of evaluating not only whether the student has reached an adequate level of knowledge, but also whether he has acquired the ability to recall theoretical notions by applying them to simple concrete contexts. The ability to present the topics clearly and with correct terminology will also be assessed.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the instructor and with Professor Sara Ferrando (sara.ferrando@unige.it), the Department’s disability liaison.