Poster 2: Darwin's Fishes
Darwin's finches are on everybody's mind, but here we want to place the emphasis on Darwin's fishes, studied and enriched in an outstanding encyclopaedia by Daniel Pauly (see footnote 1 above).
The harsh conditions he experienced during the five year journey around the world as the gentleman companion of the Captain of the Beagle, Capt. Robert Fitz Roy, can hardly be imagined in the leisurely conditions of many of today's travels.
The deprivation, discipline and relentless efforts required to bring back the extraordinary collections of animals, plants, paleontological remains, rocks etc. even when he was overcome with seasickness, and later on land, to determine their origin, marked Darwin for the rest of his life.
His zoological notes, not only show that he was conscientious and respectful of the nature that he encountered, but also that he was first and foremost a very good field biologist.
You can tap into what more is known about Darwin's fishes, and another 31,000 fish species by looking up www.fishbase.org.
