When and Where: A course focusing on the identification of freshwater fishes of British Columbia will be held at the UBC Fish Museum in the new Beaty Biodiversity Museum in the spring of 2011. The purpose of the course is to help develop participants' fish identification skills and knowledge of BC's freshwater fish species.

Instructors: Eric Taylor, PhD and J.D. McPhail, PhD

Format: The course will take place over a 3-5 day period and will consist of lecture and practical components.

The brief lectures will cover such topics as:

1. introduction to the BC freshwater fish fauna: its evolution and biogeography

2. principles of fish identification

3. molecular genetic tools for fish identification

4. conservation issues for BC's freshwater fish.

The practical components (2-3 hr each afternoon) will include:

1. illustration of key characters used in fish identification

2. introduction to the Beaty Biodiversity Museum, UBC Fish Museum and other resources

2. focus on key groups: cyprinids, suckers, cottids, and salmonids

3. focus on key regional issues in fish identification suggested by participants (e.g., char and their hybrids, troublesome field identifications). Help us design the course by participating in the brief survey.

4. DNA techniques in fish identification

Although the focus will be on freshwater fish identification, participants will have the opportunity to address issues in marine fish identification relevant to their own projects (see 3. above).

Text: The major set of identification keys and information of fish distribution will be taken from:

McPhail, J.D. 2007. The Freshwater Fishes of British Columbia. University of Alberta Press, Edmonton.

Copies will be available and there is no need to purchase the book to take the course.

Tuition: There will be a fee for the workshop, amount TBA, but it will not exceed $300.

Registration: The workshop will be limited to no more than 15 participants. Registration will begin early in 2011 with details to follow. For initial inquiries or questions please contact Eric Taylor (etaylor@zoology.ubc.ca).