José Luis Castro Aguirre (24 June 1943 – 20 January 2011) was a Mexican

ichthyologist Ichthyology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish, including bony fish (Osteichthyes), cartilaginous fish (Chondrichthyes), and jawless fish (Agnatha). According to FishBase, 35,800 species of fish had been described as of March 2 ...

. He was a founding member of the Mexican Ichthyological Society and a member of the National System of Investigators who produced around 150 publications, focusing chiefly on the taxonomy, ecology, and

biogeography Biogeography is the study of the species distribution, distribution of species and ecosystems in geography, geographic space and through evolutionary history of life, geological time. Organisms and biological community (ecology), communities o ...

of the fishes of Mexico. His 1978 book ''Catálogo sistemático de los peces marinos que penetran en aguas continentales de México, con aspectos zoogeográficos y ecológicos'' (''"Systematic catalog of marine fish entering inland waters of Mexico, with zoogeographical and ecological aspects"'') was the first catalog of

estuarine An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environm ...

fishes of Mexico. Born in

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

, he attended the National School of Biological Sciences at the

National Polytechnic Institute National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

(ENCB-IPN) earning a master's degree in 1974 and a PhD in 1986. He worked at the National Fisheries Institute and the

Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; . (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security. Its Latin motto, , translates ...

in the 1960s, and later was professor and researcher at the ENCB-IPN,

Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana The Metropolitan Autonomous University ( Spanish: ''Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana'') also known as UAM, is a Mexican public research university. Founded in 1974 with the support of then-President Luis Echeverria Alvarez, the institution a ...

(UAM; 1979–1987), the Interdisciplinary Center of Marine Science (CICIMAR; 1976–1979, 1994–2011) and Northeast Center of Biological Research (CIBNOR; 1987–1994). He described around a dozen fish species, including several species of shark. A book of research papers in his honor was produced in 2012,.

Taxon described by him

* The Pacific spoon-nose eel, ''Echiophis brunneus''. * The Mexican hornshark ''Heterodontus mexicanus''

Taxon named in his honor

* He was posthumously commemorated in the names of the fish species ''

Hypoplectrus castroaguirrei ''Hypoplectrus'' is a genus of fishes commonly known as hamlets, found mainly in coral reefs in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, particularly around Florida and the Bahamas. They are a popular choice for hobbyist saltwater aquariums, and ...

'' (a

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

) and '' Eugerres castroaguirrei'' (a

mojarra The mojarras are a family, Gerreidae, of fish in the order Perciformes. The family includes about 53 species found worldwide in tropical and warm temperate regions. They mostly inhabit coastal salt and brackish waters, although some occur in fre ...

References

1943 births 2011 deaths 20th-century Mexican zoologists Ichthyologists Scientists from Mexico City Instituto Politécnico Nacional alumni Academic staff of the Instituto Politécnico Nacional {{Mexico-scientist-stub