ANSC 3300

Fish Physiology

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2026-2027 Catalog.

Fish Physiology is an introduction to the functional biology of fish. Lecture topics will cover cellular and tissue function within key physiological systems that help fish thrive in a wide range of aquatic habitats, from mountain streams to deep-sea vents. These systems will be illustrated using a diverse variety of fish, while broader comparisons between fish and higher vertebrates will also be drawn. Discussion will integrate aquaculture, fisheries, and environmental contexts, including some of the anthropogenic challenges that fish face today and what can be done to mitigate them. Students will perform a gross dissection to identify anatomy in situ and visit an aquaculture facility (there is no separate lab section).

Prerequisites BIOAP 1100 or BIOG 1440 or BIOG 1445 or equivalent or permission of instructor.

Distribution Requirements (OPHLS-AG), (BIO-AS)

Exploratory Studies (CU-SBY)

Last 4 Terms Offered 2026SP, 2025SP, 2024SP, 2023SP

Learning Outcomes

• Characterize various physiological systems that fish use to live in an aquatic environment.
• Describe how these systems adjust to environmental changes in the short and long term.
• Explain physiological differences between groups of fishes.
• Explain how physiological systems in fish may be similar to, differ from, or have evolved into those in terrestrial vertebrates.
• Discuss how unsustainable resource management and human perturbations in the environment affect fish at the physiological level.

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