Which of the following pairs is NOT correctly matched ?

Zoology is divided into specialised branches, each named for the animal group it studies — ophiology for snakes, herpetology for reptiles and amphibians, ichthyology for fishes, and ornithology for birds. Correctly pairing a branch name with its subject matter is a matter of precise definition, not general familiarity with the words.

Ophiology is the branch devoted to snakes, not to marine animals in general — pairing it with “marine animals” is a factual mismatch, since marine life falls under other branches of biology, not under ophiology.

Checking the remaining three pairings against their standard definitions:

• Herpetology is defined as the study of reptiles (and amphibians) — this pairing is accurate.

• Ichthyology is defined as the study of fishes — this pairing is accurate.

• Ornithology is defined as the study of birds — this pairing is accurate.

Three of the four pairings match their standard zoological definitions; only the snake-study branch is paired with the wrong subject. That pairing is the one that is NOT correctly matched.