MSB Fish Collection (Arctos)

The MSB Division of Fishes supports research of the ichthyofauna of a region in North America noted for a wide range of ecotypes and elevational gradients, from the Rocky Mountains to the Great Basin and the Great Plains, with the convergence of three major deserts, the Chihuahua, Sonora, and Mojave. The fishes of New Mexico (and the southwestern US) are characterized by high endemism, low diversity, and remarkable physiological tolerances. The MSB collections are particularly valuable because aquatic habitats in the region are declining as demands on water increase due to human population growth and global climate changes. The MSB collections of fishes provides a 80-year window on the natural history of New Mexico's imperiled native fishes and aquatic systems. The MSB has over 100,000 cataloged lots of fishes (ca. 4,153,582 specimens),representing 66 families, 200 genera, and 443 species. Approximately 1/3 of the collection consists of fish eggs and larvae as part of ongoing river monitoring programs and life history studies in desert fishes.MSB鱼类学部（MSB Division of Fishes）致力于北美某区域的鱼类区系（ichthyofauna）研究，该区域涵盖落基山脉、大盆地与大平原，兼具丰富的生态型与梯度分明的海拔变化，且处于奇瓦瓦沙漠、索诺拉沙漠与莫哈韦沙漠三大荒漠的交汇地带。新墨西哥州（及美国西南部）的本土鱼类以极高的特有性、较低的物种多样性与极强的生理耐受能力为显著特征。MSB馆藏的科研价值尤为突出，原因在于该区域的水生栖息地正随人口增长与全球气候变化引发的水资源需求攀升而持续衰退。MSB鱼类馆藏为研究新墨西哥州濒危本土鱼类与水生生态系统的自然历史提供了长达80年的观测窗口。MSB馆藏现有10万余批次已编目的鱼类标本（约4153582号标本），涵盖66科、200属与443种。馆藏中约三分之一为鱼卵与幼体标本，相关标本取自针对荒漠鱼类的持续性河流监测项目与生活史研究工作。