Ichthyology, << `ihk` thee OL uh jee, >> is the branch of zoology, or the science of animals, that deals with fishes. It includes the study of the development, structure, and habits of fishes, of the classification of fishes, of their geographical distribution, and of the relationships between fishes and their environment. Ichthyology also includes aspects of their importance to people, such as fisheries and the conservation of food and game fishes. See also Eigenmann, Rosa Smith; Fishing industry; Fossil; Marine biology; Smith, James Leonard Brierley.