Research Lines

The general objective of the Fish Biology group is to develop research focused on the study of fish, both marine and freshwater, regarding taxonomy, biology, ecology, and distribution, in order to contribute to the conservation of marine biodiversity and increase biological information for the proper management of Argentina's fish resources.

1. Estimation of reproductive and growth parameters. To understand the dynamics of fish populations, reproductive and age/growth studies are essential for applying demographic analyses, especially to determine vulnerability to fishing mortality. Furthermore, parameters such as size and age at first maturity, longevity, and growth and mortality rates are equally relevant. When it is difficult to determine the population growth rate of a given species, estimating the age at sexual maturation has strong implications for the design of management strategies. Because species with a late sexual maturation age will result in populations with a higher risk of extinction than species with an early sexual maturation age, and are therefore conservation priorities. Hence, one research line is to study and estimate reproductive and growth parameters of both cartilaginous fish species (sharks, rays, and chimaeras) and bony fish species subject to fishing exploitation, to contribute to their conservation and sustainable use.

2. Trophic ecology. Quantifying the diet composition of species is essential for modeling their trophic interactions and understanding their potential effects on regulating the structure and function of marine ecosystems. Diet studies can provide information on a predator's position in the food web, and likely prey abundance across temporal and spatial scales. Factors determining an animal's feeding habits can be intrinsic, those pertaining to the predator itself, such as body size, age, sex, and reproductive status, and extrinsic, those depending on prey availability and behavior. From an ecological and conservation perspective, it is very important to determine which of these factors can affect a predator's trophic ecology, because as a consequence of these dietary changes, individuals of the same species may move between different trophic levels throughout their lives, increasing the functionality of predators within a community. Therefore, we aim to develop studies on the trophic ecology of numerous fish species, whose feeding-related aspects are little known or unknown. Detailed study of the diet of fish species will provide essential information on ecosystems highly impacted by fishing and will increase the knowledge necessary for the management of marine resources from an ecosystem perspective. These results will have great implications for both ecological knowledge and marine conservation.

3. Geographic distribution patterns. Knowing the geographic patterns of biodiversity of species vulnerable to human impact is essential for evaluating conservation measures. The distribution of biodiversity and endemism are taken into account to determine conservation priorities for different areas. At the same time, knowing the degree of overlap between human impact and areas of conservation value allows establishing spatial conservation priorities. In this sense, the aim is to estimate the geographic distribution of fish species present in the Argentine Sea and, with this information, estimate biodiversity and endemism patterns, and their relationship with the distribution of protected areas, closed areas, and fishing effort.

4. Comparative analysis of life histories. A common goal of conservation biology is to determine the biological parameters and ecological characteristics that relate species to their vulnerability or risk of extinction. Thus, a species' vulnerability may be related to characteristics such as age at sexual maturation, maximum body size, geographic range, trophic level, and niche breadth. Therefore, one research line is to compare and identify fish life history traits that allow predicting the likelihood that a species is vulnerable or has a higher risk of extinction.

5. Monitoring of the composition and distribution of the ichthyofauna in the Argentine Sea. With information on the occurrence of new species, a database of the specific biodiversity of fish inhabiting the Argentine Sea is kept updated. With this database, a dichotomous key for the specific identification of marine fish from Argentina will be kept up to date. The database will be complemented with information on physical parameters affecting species distribution from the BaRDO Oceanographic Database (Regional Database of Oceanographic Data – INIDEP Argentina), which integrates historical and recent information on main oceanographic parameters.

6. Ichthyological collection. As part of their activities, members of the Research Group are in charge of the Ichthyological Collection of the National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development (INIDEP) (Framework Agreement OCS 2022/16). This collection was created in 1970, contains more than 75% of the known fish biodiversity for the area, and its purpose is to serve as a reservoir and reference for the species inhabiting our waters, in order to study them with correct identification.