Fishes

My research on the behavioral ecology of barracuda led me into the academic subculture of ichthyologists, often referred to simply as 'fish people.' This world of scientists has a mirror subculture in broader society that's reflected not only in the popularity of fishing but in a burgeoning marketplace for fish-related products (from refrigerator magnets to tote bags to you-name-it), indicating that a lot of people are into fish imagery. The rising popularity of SCUBA diving, snorkeling, aquatic ecotourism, and of the better television documentaries on the subject suggest that we are perhaps in the Golden Age of Fishes (those pesky ichthyologists might say that was the Devonian, but I wasn't around then and there were undoubtedly not very many cool refrigerator magnets to be had at that time). Of course, paralleling this seemingly utopian world of fish culture is the increasingly apparent environmental degradation that should have every 'fish person' taking up the banner of conservation, preservation, restoration, and sustainable use of natural resources...

Below is a somewhat random collection of links to places you can go to get a sampling of the myriad subjects found on the Web — both academic and 'popular' — relating to fishes and the people that, for whatever reason, love them.