engleski

Fish skeleton in teaching, science and profession

Introduction: Integrated undergraduate and graduate study of Veterinary medicine in Zagreb is based on domestic animals and pets. A smaller part of the study is dedicated to fish, exotic animals and useful insects. In order to improve and update knowledge of fish morphology, the group of authors from the Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and the Department for Biology and Pathology of Fish and Bees started with the formation of fish skeleton collection. Materials and Methods: Today, the mentioned collection contains 232 partial or complete fish skeletons of marine and freshwater fish, primarily collected in the Republic of Croatia. The collection catalog is in a computer program with supporting data on the species, total length and weight, date and place of sampling as well as specific notes. All samples were collected in accordance with Croatian law and the code of ethics. Results: At the beginning, the collection was used for instructional purposes of the obligatory subject “Biology and pathology of aquatic organisms” and the elective course “Fish morphology”. The collection has, very soon, shown its value in the elective course “Archaeozoology” as a basis for comparison with the fish remains from archaeological sites. It was the basis for the five graduation theses and for two dissertations. The value of the collection has been confirmed by scientific and professional papers, not only through bone identification in the process of ossification but also through identification of pathological changes. Conclusion: Interested students and positive reviews of scientific and professional articles are the best feedback and incentive to expand the collections. Skeletons of non-native fish will be added for implementation the curricula of PhD studies of Veterinary sciences as well as for further research.

fish skeleton; teaching; science; profession

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