COURSE UNIT TITLE

: THE ECOLOGY OF TELEOST FISH

DEGREE PROGRAMMES

Description of Individual Course Units

Course Unit Code Course Unit Title Type Of Course D U L ECTS
CDK 5126 THE ECOLOGY OF TELEOST FISH ELECTIVE 2 0 0 7

Offered By

Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences

Level of Course Unit

Third Cycle Programmes (Doctorate Degree)

Course Coordinator

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR EYÜP MÜMTAZ TIRAŞIN

Offered to

MARINE LIVING RESOURCES

Course Objective

This course aims to provide graduate students a versatile understanding of ecology of teleost fishes by focusing on the biodiversity, evolution, biological and environmental factors affecting individual fish and populations, population dynamics, feeding, growth, reproduction and survival strategies. The theoretical and practical aspects of ecological research on teleost fish are reviewed and discussed. Case studies and examples will mainly be based on the marine teleost fishes.

Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit

1   Recognize the great diversity of teleost fishes.
2   Demonstrate understanding of theory of evolution and natural selection.
3   Relate physical and chemical dynamics of marine ecosystems to teleost fish population dynamics.
4   Demonstrate understanding of the classical models used to describe major processes such as growth, mortality and reproduction.
5   Describe the biotic factors affecting teleost fish populations.
6   Explain the human-induced factors affecting teleost fish populations.
7   Explain the utilization of basic approaches for conservation and management of teleost fish populations.
8   Demonstrate critical thinking skills in evaluation of results and information derived from the literature and other sources, and for problem-solving of complex issues related to ecology of teleost fishes.

Mode of Delivery

Face -to- Face

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

None

Recomended Optional Programme Components

None

Course Contents

Week Subject Description
1 Introduction to Course Course outline, textbook and reference books. General review of various important topics in teleost fish ecology.
2 Evolution of Teleost Fishes Evolution of life. Evolution of teleost fishes.
3 Diversity of Teleost Fishes Diversity of teleost fishes in the world oceans. Diversity of teleost fishes in the Turkish Seas.
4 Environmental Adaptations Body forms. Locomotion. Respiration. Sensory organs.
5 Feeding Trophic and morphological adaptations. Alimentary canal. Diet composition. Selective and non selective feeding.
6 Bioenergetic Models Bioenergetic models and fish ecology. Energy budgets and their components. Examples of applications of bioenergetic models in marine fish ecology.
7 Growth of Teleost Fishes Investigation of growth. Factors affecting growth. Length-weight relationships. Age determination. Growth models.
8 Mortality Natural mortality. Mortality due to fisheries. Investigation of mortality. Survival models.
9 Reproduction Reproductive strategies and types. Reproduction models. Effects of biotic and abiotic factors on reproduction.
10 Midterm Exam
11 Biotic Factors Affecting Fish Communities Predation. Diseases and parasites. Intraspecific and interspecific competition.
12 Dynamics of Teleost Fish Populations (I) Population structures. Population size. Variations in population demography and density. Studies on population dynamics.
13 Dynamics of Teleost Fish Populations (II) Population Models. Natural environmental factors affecting populations. Human-induced environmental factors affecting populations. Effects of fisheries.
14 Some Additional Topics and Future Research Research on life histories. How to improve research methods and models of population ecology How might biodiversity of teleost fishes change in the future

Recomended or Required Reading

Textbook:

Wootton, R. J. 1998. Ecology of Teleost Fishes. Second Edition, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Netherlands, 390 p.

Reference books:

Hart, P. J. B. and Reynolds, J. D. 2002. Handbook of Fish Biology and Fisheries (Volumes 1 and 2). Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, UK, 410 + 410 p.
Helfman, G. S., Collette, B. B., Facey, D. E. and Bowen, B. W. 2009. The Diversity of Fishes. Second Edition, Wiley-Blackwell, Malaysia, 720p.

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

Class lectures are carried out in a highly interactive format. Additional elaboration and illustration will be provided for better comprehension. Individual participation by students in classroom discussion will be strongly encouraged.

Assessment Methods

SORTING NUMBER SHORT CODE LONG CODE FORMULA
1 MTE MIDTERM EXAM
2 FIN FINAL EXAM
3 FCG FINAL COURSE GRADE MTE * 0.40 + FIN * 0.60
4 RST RESIT
5 FCGR FINAL COURSE GRADE (RESIT) MTE * 0.40 + RST * 0.60


Further Notes About Assessment Methods

None

Assessment Criteria

To be announced.

Language of Instruction

Turkish

Course Policies and Rules

Regular attendance is essential for satisfactory completion of this course.

Contact Details for the Lecturer(s)

Dr. E. Mümtaz TIRAŞIN
Dokuz Eylül University, Institute of Marine Sciences and Technology,
Inciraltı 35340, Balçova - Izmir.
Phone:(+90) 232 2785565 /165
Fax: (+90) 232 2785082
E-mail: mumtaz.tirasin@deu.edu.tr

Office Hours

To be announced.

Work Placement(s)

None

Workload Calculation

Activities Number Time (hours) Total Work Load (hours)
Lectures 13 2 26
Preparation for midterm exam 1 12 12
Preparation for final exam 1 18 18
Reading 12 6 72
Preparations before/after weekly lectures 12 3 36
Midterm 1 2 2
Final 1 3 3
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours) 169

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

PO/LOPO.1PO.2PO.3PO.4PO.5PO.6
LO.1121144
LO.2322144
LO.3331144
LO.4432144
LO.5432144
LO.6443144
LO.7434144
LO.8454444

CONTACT INFORMATION
Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Cumhuriyet Bulvarı No: 144 35210 Alsancak / İZMİR
Phone: +90(232) 412 12 12 - Fax: +90 (232) 464 81 35

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