The Laboratory of Systematics and Evolution of Teleost Fishes (LASEPT) (formerly Laboratório de Ictiologia Geral e Aplicada) was created in 1990, as a functional unity of the Institute of Biology of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and incorporated to the Department of Zoology since 1993. It is situated at the Block A of the Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro city, Brazil. Its range of action involves different areas of research, teaching and university extension. Research is directed to Taxonomy, Phylogeny, Biogeography and Conservation of teleost fishes. An extensive fish collection of small teleost fishes inhabiting shallow freshwater and estuarine environments supports both research projects and scholar theses. As a teaching unit, LASEPT supports university courses related to Ichthyology and Systematics, such as Zoology IV, Systematic Zoology and General and Applied Ichthyology for undergraduate students, and Systematics and Biogeography of Cyprinodontiform Fishes, Delimitation of Species, and Cladist Biogeography. As unit of university extension, it supports environmental projects related to Brazilian fish fauna and its conservation.