Dr. Melanie Stiassny, Axelrod Research Curator in the Department of Ichthyology, leads a behind-the-scenes tour of the Museum’s vast collection of fishes.

The Department of Ichthyology, one of the four departments within the Museum's Division of Vertebrate Zoology, houses a collection that includes more than 2 million specimens, with a special focus on African, Australian, Central American, Chinese, and Malagasy fresh water fishes as well as Bahamian and Gulf of Mexican shore fishes. The department's three curators, as well as postdoctoral fellows, students, and staff, regularly conduct fieldwork to add to these collections.