Specific Taxa / All Fishes

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All Fishes / Overviews



An Atlas of Distribution of the Freshwater Fish Families of the World
by Tim M. Berra.  1981
Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press,  xxix + 197 pp.,  illus., maps. Cloth covered boards in dust jacket
ISBN 0-8032-1411-1 (ISBN 0-8032-6059-8, paper back)

Just as the title states, here is a book of maps.  The front matter sets the stage with an introduction to biogeography of freshwaters and sets definitions as to what is a freshwater fish.  The main text consists of family accounts (over 150 of them).  Each family accounts comes with a run-down on the basics for that family, an outline drawing of a typical form, a shaded area range map and “map references.”  Each family account gets its own page (even it doesn’t fill that page).  The back matter contains suggested reading lists, lists of worlds rivers and lakes.  A very useful entrance to the biology of any given family.  There is a second edition.





Fishes
by M. Chandy.  1970
New Delhi, National Book Trust, India.  xi + 166 pp. illus. in black and white; some color plates.  Soft
cover

Dr. Chandy’s book covers a very broad range of topics.  The goal appears to have been to assemble in a compact and readable format an introduction to ichthyology, fish biology, fisheries management, with emphasis on the fishes of India.  The information presented was primarily abstracted from standard secondary sources of the day.  The book is illustrated with black and white drawings and photographs, with 8 color plates.  A store receipt tucked in this book indicates that I found it in Ann Arbor, Michigan – a long way from India.








Fishes of the World
by Edouard Le Danois.  1957
Woodstock, Vt., Countryman Press, 190 pp. illus. in black and white and color.  Cloth covered boards in
dust jacket

This is a picture book on fish diversify.  It organized geographically, rather than taxonomically, which is a little unusual, but works.  Its illustrated with many black and white photographs (many of aquarium held individuals), and color plates.  A little bit on book construction:  the color plates were printed separately on heavier paper (one sided) and inserted at regular intervals in the text block.  This English edition was translated from French.  The translator has left us with a helpful note referencing the original (Poissons, Horizons de France,1956) in case readers of the English version wish to compare it to the original French.  A nice touch.










Catalog of the genera of Recent fishes
by William N. Eschmeyer.  1990
San Francisco: California Academy of Sciences, 1990. v, 697 pp.; 29 cm.  Dark blue cloth covered boards, issued without dust jacket
ISBN 0-940228-23-8

Bill Eschmeyer gives us here an enormously useful and important work – assuming you are a fish taxonomist.  A huge amount of careful and tedious work goes into a project like this.  Here we have a complete catalog of the world’s described fish genera (non-fossil).  The main body of it (co-authored by Reeve Bailey) reads like a telephone book.  Each genus is presented with the correct spelling and authority, with gender noted (a really useful feature for those of us non-Latin speakers), type species, current status and family.  Just this information alone can save a researcher hours of poking around libraries looking for odd or obscure publications.  I was told that in (nearly) every case, each reference was actually examined to confirm pagination, date, etc.  This is important – I had occasion to work through Jordan and Evermann’s Catalog (1892-1900) in detail and found more than a few typos or misstated dates or page numbers.

Front matter describes the philosophy and methods.  Appendices review official nomenclatoral decisions related to fishes.
This volume was released in 1990 on paper.  The material was quickly was augmented and expanded as new taxa were described, new interpretations made and errors found.  These updates are found on an online version of the catalog (which is probably what most researchers now use – rather than this old-fashioned paper version) – something that is possible now, but not feasible in 1990.
This work was followed by Eschmeyer’s even more ambitious Catalog of Species.  The genesis of both these projects dates to Henry Fowler’s never completed (but partially published) attempt to do the same in the pre-digital age.









The world of fishes; a survey of their habits, relationships, and history, and a guide to the fish collections of the American Museum of Natural History - New Edition
by William K. Gregory and Francesca LaMonte.  1947
New York, N.Y., The American Museum of Natural History, 1947.  96 pp. illus. 27 cm. Soft Bound

Here is a guide to fishes for young folks, by two American Museum of Natural History fish curators.  Heavily illustrated with photographs of AMNH displays, specimens and some living specimens, this volume offers a taxonomic survey of living and fossil fishes.










Grzimek's Animal life encyclopedia (English Edition)
by Bernhard Grzimek
Volume 4: Fishes I (1973). 531 pp., illus.
    Library of Congress No. 79-183178
Volume 5: Fishes II and Amphibians (1974).  555 pp., illus.
    Library of Congress No. 79-183178
New York, Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., illus. 25 cm.

Here are two volumes from a large encyclopedic coverage of the Animal Kingdom. Grzimek appears to have been chief author and editor of this set....there is also a lengthy list of contributors (mostly European) who contributed their area of expertise.  I believe the original editions are in German.  The coverage is pretty standard – a primer on fish biology, anatomy and ecology is followed by a taxonomic survey.  The work is heavily illustrated with color plates and black and white text figures.  The pre-cladistic classification is long out-of-date, but certainly not different enough from modern ideas to lessen its usefulness as a general entrance into fish diversity.  Salmon are still salmon, puffers are still puffers, etc.

 
 






Fishes: A Guide to Their Diversity
by Philip A. Hastings, H. J. Walker, Grantly R. Galland.  2014
Oakland, California : University of California Press, xxi + 311, illus. in color and black and white,
soft cover
ISBN 978-0-520-28353-4

Here is a really handy overview to fish diversity that would be a great supplementary text in an ichthyology class.  There is a tremendous amount of information to found in this volume.  The introduction covers the basic anatomy and biology of fishes.  The main section covers the full range of fish diversity starting with hagfishes.  The coverage is phylogenetic, with cladograms presented as appropriate.  The coverage drops down to order, with one or more families presented for each order to represent the group.  Fishes are illustrated by color photographs of museum species (catalog numbers included) against a black background.  An extensive literature sited helps the reader access the literature.






















Living Fishes of the World
by Earl Stannard Herald.  1961 (5th printing 1967)
Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 303 pp. illus. in color and black and white.  Cloth covered boards in dust jacket
Library of Congress No. 61-6384
9th printing 1972.  ISBN 0-385-00988-7

Doubleday produced a series of books on the natural world called The World of Nature.   This is the fish volume.  “Living,” by the way, is biology-speak for non-fossil; the word “recent” has the same meaning in this context.  This volume has a picture book approach – fish diversity runs by family by family, with the basics presented in the text and representatives illustrated by photographs (some 300 photographs, about half in color).  It offers a little bit about just about everybody.
I also have a 9th printing of this book from 1972.  By now, it has an ISBN number.  The dust jacket is different than my 5th edition, and notes the passing of the author, Earl Herald (1914-1973).







Fishes of the World
by Hans Hvass, illustrated by Wilhelm Eigener.  1965
New York, Dutton, 156 pp., illus. in color.  Cloth covered boards in dust jacket

Originally published in Danish as Alverdens Fisk (1965), this is basically a color picture book of fish diversity.  It is also one of a multivolume set on animals.  There is the briefest of introductions to fishes, and then a survey of living fishes in reverse taxonomic order (i.e., advanced acanthopterygians first, hagfishes last).  Although it is organized taxonomically, minimal taxonomic structure is given; one section is labeled “the cod group,” for example.  The information presented is basic and accurate enough at this level.  The paintings are somewhat stylized and flat...but they do have an appeal.








The Fresh & Salt Water Fishes of the World
by Edward C. Migdalski and George S. Fichter; illustrated by Norman Weaver.  1976 (1977)
Octopus Books Edition, 316 pp., illus. in color.  Hardcover in dust jacket
ISBN 0-7064-0578-1

E. C. Migdalksi (1917-2009) wrote on game fishes, fishes and outdoors pursuits.  At first glance, this volume might appear to be just a picture book of fishes aimed at anglers or aquarists.  It’s audience is the general reader, but the introductory chapters do a nice job of bringing the sciences of zoology and ichthyology to this general reader in a way that many similar volumes don’t.  Taxonomy, nomenclature and classification are explained, followed by a brief primer on ichthyology, including the history and biology of fishes.  The main section of the book is a run through the diversity of fishes.  Information is presented at a family level, with representatives illustrated with excellent color paintings.  A list of references comes at the end for those wishing to delve deeper into ichthyology.

Fishes of the world
Joseph S. Nelson

New York: Wiley. 1976. xiii + 416 p, ill, 24 cm, 9" x 6".  Hard cover in DJ.

Here is the first edition of Joe Nelson’s Fishes of the World. Building upon many earlier works such as those by Norman and Jordan and Greenwood et al. 1966, this work attempts to bring together current thinking on the classification of fishes in one coherent and consistent piece. Since updated about every 10-12 years, these works are have become standard in ichthyological circles. One doesn’t have to agree with all of Nelson’s placements or opinions, but the work provides an essential tool and starting point for work in fish phylogenetics and classification. The book provides a window in to current thinking on each group – and a useful entrance into the literature. I think we forget how appreciated was the latter in the pre-internet days of systematic research.

This first edition from 1976 is not based on strict phylogenetic systematics (cladistics) – something that would become standard in ichthyology within a few years. Henig’s ideas and Gareth Nelson’s application of them to vertebrates are cited in the introduction of bony fishes, but they don’t form the foundational philosophy of this work.

A little broader than just craniates traditionally called “fishes,” this work covers all chordate animals. For such a broad work, detail for any one group is limited and discussion doesn’t go below the family level, except in the most general of ways. Well executed line-drawings illustrate each family, and shaded area range maps for many key are found at the end of the book (the maps are omitted from subsequent editions).





A draft synopsis of the orders, families and genera of recent fishes and fish-like vertebrates (excluding Ostariophysi, Scleroparei, Ammodytidae and a few other families, notably Centrarchidae, Percidae and Cichlidae) covering literature up to 1938, and, as far as it was available to the author, from 1939 to 1944
by J. R. Norman.  1957
London: British Museum (Natural History), 649 pp.

J.R. Norman while at the British Museum (Natural History) was compiling this Synopsis of recent fishes, essentially a detailed classification, including identification keys.  Fish Curators at the Museum going back to A. Günther and G. A. Boulenger have a tradition of issuing such classifications based on the literature available and the specimens held at the BMNH.  Norman’s synopsis was incomplete at the time of his death in 1944.  His draft copy (complete with numerous handwritten corrections and additions) was issued in 1957.  It was issued as a draft as an aid to systematic ichthyogists, but not as a complete work to be formally cited.  A note on the title pages reads “This Synopsis is not for public sale but for private distribution only”.
My copy has gray wrappers, and was punched for a two ring binder, but is bound in what appears to be later library cloth.
This is a useful historical piece and an excellent view into the systematic thinking of the mid-20th Century






Specific Taxa





Agnatha (living)



Proceedings of the Sea Lamprey International Symposium
by Bernard R. Smith (Editor).  1980
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. Special Issue Vol. 37(11): 1585-2214, illus. Soft
cover


Sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) gained access via canals and seaways to the Great Lakes.  There it encountered naive prey species and caused sever damage to native fisheries.  The impact on biodiversity and natural systems and the associated economic impact attracted intense interest and research.  This thick volume presents the papers from the Sea Lamprey International Symposium (August 1979).  There are dozens of papers here on numerous aspects of sea lamprey biology (natural biology and their biology in their new non-native habitats), management and control.  The attendees at this meeting were an interesting mixture of applied fishery and management biologists/technicians and scientists of a more academic bent.  These types of biologists do not often find themselves commingled at a meeting.





Chondrichthyes



The Shark Almanac - A fully illustrated natural history of sharks, skates and rays
by Thomas B. Allen.  1999

New York, N.Y.: Lyons Press. 274 pp., illus. in black and white with gallery of color plates.  Hard cover in dust jacket
ISBN 1-55821-582-4

Here is a general and nicely presented work on elasmobranchs – sharks mostly.  Opening chapters cover evolutionary history and general biology of these fishes.  There’s a lengthy taxonomic section in which diversity is presented, family by family.  Closing chapters cover human interactions with sharks - exploitation, attacks, endangerment and such, including many interesting anecdotes and tidbits.  Sharks have been mythologized and demonized for millennia.  Works for the general reader such as this one, serve to bring into perspective these important players in ocean ecology.

Thomas B. Allen is co-author of an earlier, general and somewhat more sensational book on sharks, Shadows in the Sea (see below).




Requins de Méditerranée et d'Atlantique (plus particulièrement de la côte occidentale d'Afrique)
by J. Cadenat and J. Blache.  1981
Paris: Editions de l'Office de la Recherche Scientifique et Technique Outre-Mer, Vol. XXI, 330 pp., illus. in
black and white.  Soft cover.
ISBN 2-7099-0576-0

This is a pretty straight forward and well crafted guide to the sharks of the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic (particularly west African waters).  There are identification keys and detailed drawings of diagnostic traits, as appropriate.  The species are illustrated by line drawings, paintings or photographs.  The species accounts are confined largely to diagnostic and distributional information.  For life history, ecology and systematics, one must look elsewhere.













Angler’s Guide to Sharks of the Northeastern United States Maine to Chesapeake Bay
by John G. Casey
United State Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife. 1964 (April). Circular 179, 32 pp., illus. Wrappers.

This small booklet covers the basics on biology and identification for about 34 species of Atlantic sharks. This information is distilled from primary sources. Each species illustrated with a line drawing.






FAO Species Catalogue:  Sharks of the world:  an annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date
by Leonard J. V. Compagno.  1984

United Nations Development Programme,, Food and Agriculture Administration
Volume 1 (ISBN 92-5-101384-5), Vol. 125, Part 1. viii + 1 - 249, illus. in black and white, maps.  Soft cover
Volume 2 (ISBN 92-5-101383-7), Vol. 125, Part 2.  x + 250 - 655, illus. in black white, maps.  Soft cover

These FAO Species Catalogues are pretty useful pieces of work.  Their goal is to assist field workers and fishers identify what they find.  The group in question (in this case sharks) is given a thorough treatment – not necessarily a revision, but an overview reflecting the best current thinking.  A brief introduction introduces the group and explains the basics of the presentation.  Identification keys are provided throughout.  The species accounts summarize the best and current information available – diagnosis, distribution, habitat and biology, size, interest to fisheries and literature.  Each species also comes with synonymy, multilingual vernacular names and an FAO identification code.  Accounts are illustrated with stippled drawings of the species and any key diagnostic features and a small shaded area range map.
This is the first edition of the FAO Shark volumes.  There appears to be a more recent edition, but I don’t have copy (at this point).









Sharks, Rays, and Chimaeras of California (California Natural History Guides)
by David A. Ebert. Illustrations by Matthew D. Squillante.  2003

University of California Press (2003), Paperback, 297 pages (hard cover and soft cover editions; no dust jacket issued)

ISBN 0-520-22265-2 and 0-520-23484-7

This is a volume in the long running California Natural History Guide series from the University of California Press.  I think this is an extremely well done and compact guide.  Extensive front matter covers the ocean of California and gives a primer on

chondrichthyan biology. Identification keys are provided, illustrated as necessary with line drawings.  The species accounts are detailed and illustrated with Matthew Squillantes beautiful portraits (it’s a shame these couldn’t be reproduced at a larger size – I’m guessing the small size of presentation does not do them justice).  This volume is aimed at the educated and curious public.  I note that UC Press has these printed in China – it would be nice if they found someone closer to home to do that work.








Studies on the rajid fishes (Rajidae) found in the waters around Japan
by Reizo Ishiyama.  1958
Contribution from the Shimonoseki College of Fisheries, No. 202, 202 pp., 86 text figs., 3 plates. Hardcover (privately bound)

This is detailed revision of the rajid fishes from around Japan.  It has the look at the published monograph derived from a PhD dissertation – don’t know if that is the case.  Opening sections include detailed descriptions and discussion of claspers, eggs, tails, scales, including identification keys based on these features.  The taxonomic section includes several genera, with new subgenera described and detailed species accounts.  Accounts include the basics of diagnosis and description.  Black and white drawings illustrate the species; there are some maps.  A number of new species are described; those I spot-checked are still considered valid.  The 3 photographic plates (black and white) portray various species.   Originally issued in wrappers, my copy was privately bound, and was originally from the library of Albert W. Herre.

Shadows in the Sea – the sharks, skates and rays

by Harold W. McCormick, Tom Allen and Captain William Young

Weathervane Books, New York. 1963. xii + 413, illus.with black and white photographs and drawings. Cloth boards in DJ. 16 x 23 cm.

Library of Congress No. 62-16260

A general readers book on shark biology and human interactions with sharks. It is possibly a little sensational for modern standards, but full of facts and stories and anecdotes from the authors’ lifetimes of observing sharks.

Includes sections on shark attacks, angling for sharks and then a systematic section on shark diversity. Many illustrations.  A good read.







Reef Sharks & Rays of the World - A guide to their identification, behavior, and ecology
by Scott W. Michael

PROSTAR Publications, Inc. Annapolis, MD. 2005. vi + 107 pp., illus. (mostly color photographs). Softcover. 18 x 23 cm.

ISBN 1 57785 538 8

Not having much experience with reef fishes in their natural habitat, I can’t judge the utility of this attractive little book from experience. However, the subject is nicely presented for anyone visiting these habitats or wishing to learn more about these fishes. Extensive front matter introduces the fishes, with concise species accounts (some 160 species) following. Most species are illustrated with color photographs.









Sharks of Arabia
by John E. Randall.  1986

London IMMEL Publishing. 1986, 148 pp., illus.  Hardcover in dust jacket

ISBN 0-907151-09-4

This book covers the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Gulf and Arabian Sea.  It opens with a lengthy primer on shark biology and evolution, with a section on human interactions with sharks. T he main body of the book is the section on diversity.  A diagnosis is provided for each species along with remarks on biology, distribution and such. Species are illustrated with color photographs (of living individuals or specimens), or black and white photographs or drawings. An excellent and worthwhile volume – as are all of Jack Randall’s.

The Nature Company Guide:  Sharks and Rays
by L. R. Taylor (editor).  1997
London: Harper Collins Publishers,  288 pp., color illus.  Pictorial boards, dust jacket?
ISBN 0-7835-4940-7

This is a non-technical and illustrated guide to sharks and rays.  There are sections on biology, evolution, conservation, form and fuction, shark vacation destination, etc., with a taxonomic section covering the basic biology of common or odd species.  Heavily illustrated in color.  My copy lacks a dust jacket, I don't know if it was issued with one.










Sharks, skates, rays, and chimaeras
by John Richard Thompson and Stewart Springer.  1965.

U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries (1965), Circular No. 228, Paperback, 19 pages, illus.

This thin volume was issued by the Fish and Wildlife Service to act as a basic primer on the biology of Chondrichthyans largely for those outside the zoology community.  Basic biology and diversity facts are presented, with some illustrations.  An annotated bibliography and the close of the volume sends the interested reader to more technical coverage and identification guides (which this work is not).

What you should know about sharks
by Ednard Waldo.  1963

Louisiana Wild Life and Fisheries Commission (1963), Wildlife Education Bulletin No. 91, 15 pages, illus., paperbound

About Sharks is a state information leaflet intended to educate the public about sharks. Information is extracted from works such as Thompson and Springer’s USFWS circular. The booklet is reprinted from Louisiana Conservationist (1962). Basic information on their biology is presented with a few illustrations, and then about half of the text is devoted to teeth, attacks and feeding. The photograph on the cover is of a shark being dragged out of the ocean by a large hook. A little sensational?  Perhaps.

Biology of the Megamouth Shark
by Kazunari Yano, Jehn F. Morrissey, Yoshitaka Yabumuto and Kazuhiro Nakaya.  1997
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan: Tokai University Press, xv + 203 pp. : ill. in black and white and color.  Pictorial boards in dust jacket.
ISBN 4-486-03111-3

On 29 November 1994 a female megamouth shark, Megachasma pelagios, washed ashore in Japan.  This was the seventh specimen of this species known - and the first female.  This volume contains a series of papers detailing the finding, recovery and preservation of this specimen, and many other aspects of the biology of the species (based on examination of this specimen).  There are detailed anatomical studies (e.g., scales, teeth, the spleen), bile salts (of all things) and parasites (including a new genus and species of tapeworm).  A nice example of what biologists can do when provided with resources and an interesting challenge.  The papers are in English - with a booklet of abstracts in Japanese inserted.
A shark biologist friend of mine saw this volume on my shelf.  “Why do you have this?  You don’t work with sharks?” he asked.  “Oh that’s right, you’re an ichthyologist,” he said as if being an ichthyologist in the current hyperspecialized world of zoology was some sort of quaint eccentricity.











Osteichthyes

Actinopterygii



The evolution and interrelationships of the Actinopterygian fishes
by George V. Lauder and Karel F. Liem.  1983
Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 150(3): 95-197, 62 figs.  Wrappers
ISSN 0027-4100

The authors of this piece take their keen and deep knowledge of fish anatomy and function (and the literature there of) and use it to craft a cladistic interpretation of the Actinopterygii.  Starting at the base of the group, this study works its way up the evolutionary tree defining, describing and illustrating synapomorphies for each successively group.  I’ve read through this (or sections of if) numerous times.  I always see something new.  It’s good to see such work by scientists who actually work with and study the objects of their research.  Fishes are understood as objects of natural history, entities with evolutionary history and present life histories (in case it’s not clear - this is sharp contract to molecular geneticists who ‘study’ plugs of tissue and usually have only the vaguest understanding of the object of their ‘studies’).






Catalogue of Apodal Fish, in the Collection of the British Museum
by J. J. Kaup and John Richardson.  1856
London: Pub. by order of the Trustees of the British Museum, viii + 163, 11 text figs., 19 pls., Hard cover

Over the decades, the British Museum (Natural History) has issued catalogs of its holdings (and holdings of other collections).  These served in part as revisions of the faunas included, and are important documents in the history of fish taxonomy and nomenclature.  Apodal fishes, in the context of this classification, are the fishes, generally eel-like, without pelvic fins.  Included here-in are fishes now classified in the orders Anguilliformes, Synbranchiformes, Gymnotiformes.  These three are presently considered closely related, but linked here because of their superficial similiarity - eel-like bodies and reduced paired fins.  Also included is a family known as the Leptocephalidae.  I’m not fully conversant with the history of angilliform taxonomy, and this is interesting.  Leptocephali are the larvae of Elopomorph fishes (such as eels).  This appears not to have been understood and leptocephali were described as distinct species, not here-in linked to their adult anatomy.
About 250 species are included in this catalog, a number are newly described species.  Text figures and plates illustrated a number of species.
Some of the new taxa appearing in this catalogue were published separately in:  Kaup, J. J.  1856.  Uebersicht der Aale.  Archiv für Naturgeschichte v. 22 (1): 41-77.  This work apparently predates the catalog.










Anguilliformes




Anguilliformes du Canal de Mozambique (Pisces, Teleostei)
by Christine Karrer.  1982
Paris: Éditions de l'Office de la recherche scientifique et technique outre-mer, Faune Tropicale No. XXII, 115 pp.,  illus. in black and white.  Soft cover.
ISBN 2-7099-0649-X

This report covers the eel fauna of the Mozambique Channel.  About 30 species are covered – several described as new in this work.  Species accounts include synonymies (always useful), specimens examined, diagnosis, distribution, description and remarks (which includes variation, taxonomic notes and such).  This is primarily a museum study (specimen based) thus few details on biology or ecology of the species included are given.  There are no identification keys.  This illustrations are by Opic – and are excellent.  I found this report in a natural history bookshop in Paris on what was probably my best fish book finding day ever.  In fact, I bought more fish books than I could easily carry - not the best idea when traveling from museum to museum conducting my own research.








Eels:  A Natural and Unnatural History
by Christopher Moriarty.  1978
Universe Books, New York,  192 pp., illus. in black and white.  Cloth covered boards in dust jacket
ISBN 0-87663-293-2

Eels (as in Anguilla) are more visible in European waters and European cuisine than they are in North America.  Alterations to waterways in North America greatly reduced eel runs by the mid-1900s, and thus they have faded from the consciousness of a most Americans, who would have exploited the runs for food.  In Europe the runs have garnered greater protection and eels remain a larger part of the culture and fauna.  Here’s a book to feed that interest in the general reader.  Various aspects of eel biology and human - eel interactions are detailed, a nice mix of biology and culture.  The book is illustrated with black and white drawings and photographs.







Argentiniformes


A revision of the fishes of the subfamily Argentininae
by Daniel M. Cohen.  1958
Bulletin of the Florida State Museum 3(3): 93-172, illus

Here is another of those systematic monographs that looks like it was a dissertation or thesis project.  It’s a nice, compact overview of the taxonomy, systematics and biology of this group of marine fishes.  The author erects a couple new subgenera and describes two new species.  There’s a little osteology thrown in for good measure.  The work is sparsely illustrated – perhaps a cost issue at the time of printing.






Batrachoidiformes

A review of the venomous toadfishes
by Barton A. Bean and Alfred C. Weed.  1910

Proceedings of the U.S.National Museum. 1910. Vol. 38: 511-526 (No. 1764), text figs. and plates.

A tidy revision of a group of odd marine fishes, belonging to the genera Thalossophryne and Thalassothia, is found in this paper. Identification keys are provided as are tables of diagnostic features and basic species accounts. Thalassophyrne megalops is described as new (pictured below).

 

 

Characiformes

Characidae

The Cheirodontinæ, a subfamily of minute characid fishes of South America
by Carl H. Eigenmann.  1915
Memoirs of the Carnegie Museum, Vol. VII(1): 1-99, 36 text figs., map, 17 pls.  Wrappers

Here is a classic piece of museum ichthyology from Jordan trained ichthyologist Carl Eigenmann.  He utilized museum holdings of the Cheirodontinae, along with extensive newly acquired material.  He describes 7 new genera and 17 new species, out of a total of 55 species covered.  He lays out the details of the group, provides keys to genera and species and detailed descriptions, including synonymies.  Little information on life history is available for collections of preserved specimens and little is offered here in this work.  Diagnostic traits and some species are illustrated with text figures.  The plates are black and white drawings of fishes.












Clupeiformes



Engraulidae

Areas de migracion y ecologia de la anchoa Lycengraulis olidus (Günther) en las aguas argentinas (Pisces, fam. Engraulidae).
by M. L. Fuster de Plaza and E. E. Boschi.  1961
Other authors: E. E. Boschi
Buenos Aires : Facultad de ciencias exactas y naturales, Ser. Zoologia 1(3): 127-183, illus. in black and white.  Soft cover

This small fish, Lycengralis olidus, was treated to an in depth study of its biology, migratory pattern, ecology and life history.  This is information of the type that would be essential to manage or exploit the Argentine populations.  The report is illustrated with a few drawings of the fish, and various tables and graphs.  There’s an introduction in English, and a lengthy literature cited.








Cypriniformes

Cyprinidae

The common carp, Cyprinus carpio; its wild origins, domestication in aquaculture, and selection as colored nishikigoi, pp. 1-56, illus
by Eugene K. Balon, 1995
Environmental change and the culture of common carp in medieval Europe, pp., 57-85, illus.
by Richard C. Hoffman. 1995
Guelph Ichthyology Reviews, No. 3, May 1995, illus. some in color, softbound

Common carp are found nearly world wide now.  Domesticated a couple millennia ago, it might seem their connection to a wild ancestor might be lost (as with cows or horses).  So ever wonder just where they came from?  Dr. Balon in a multifaceted study tries to bring some order and understanding to carp origins (they are from the drainages of the Black, Caspian and Aral Seas).  As widespread and common as carp are in many of their non-native habitats, sadly, they are in danger of extinction as a native fish in their natural habitat.

A second carp-related paper in this number discusses the culture and dispersal of carp through medieval Europe.
Interesting stuff.





Cyprinodontiformes



A World of Killies:  Atlas of the oviparous cyprinodontiform fishes of the world (5 volumes)
by Rudolf H. Wildekamp.  1993, et seq.
Mishawaka, Ind.: American Killifish Association, 1993-  illus in black and white, maps
Issued with pictorial wrappers, and cloth bound (no dust jackets issued)
ISBN 1-883494-00-1 (5 vol. set, cloth bound)

This series was an ambitious on the part of the author – a world catalog of cyprinodontiform fishes in five volumes.  The taxa are arranged systematically.  The species accounts are detailed and complete.  Each is illustrated with a drawing (sometimes multiple drawings), produced by the author, and a spot map.  The text details the taxonomy, distribution, identification, general biology and care and keeping off the species.  Killies have a devoted following in the aquarium hobby and this work was sponsored and published by the American Killifish Association.  Many professional ichthyologists and zoologist might look with caution at a ‘hobby publication,’ however, this set offers an excellent and critical entrance into the biology and literature of this group.  I think there are few people who know the group as a whole as well as this author.  The volumes were issued with stiff pictorial wrappers, the cloth bound set is simply these volumes (wrappers included) cased in cloth covered boards.  I do not believe dust jackets were issued.




Poeciliidae



Ecology and evolution of livebearing fishes (Poeciliidae)
by Gary K. Meffe and Franklin F. Snelson, Jr. (editors).  1989
Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall. xxv + 453, pp., illus. in black and white.  Cloth covered boards in dust jacket
ISBN 0-13-222720-7

Here is a review volume on the biology of the Family Poeciliidae.  Nineteen chapters in five sections cover systematics, conservation, genetics, life history, evolution of these fishes.  The various chapters are authored by the authorities in the area.  One appendix gives a species checklist for the family.  The extensive literature cited is a key tool to entry into the literature of this family.









Gadiformes




Papers on the Systematics of Gadiform Fishes
by Daniel M. Cohen.  1989
Los Angeles, Calif., Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Science Series No. 32, ix +
262, illus. in black and white, cloth cover boards


Here’s an interesting collection of paper detailing research and opinions on gadiform fishes.  It dates from the mid-late 80s, with papers on various aspects of these fishes and their relationships and evolution.  We have reports covering osteology and myology, otoliths, ontogeny and fossil forms.  What it is missing (and that is a real strength of this presentation) is any paperson  molecular topics.  Here is have the work of actual, knowledgeable ichthyologists studying groups they know well.  Ichthyologists studying fishes, not pretenders using molecular techniques to analyze plugs of tissue taken from species they wouldn’t recognize if they were to see them whole.













Gadiform fishes of the world:  Order Gadiformes, an annotated and illustrated catalogue of cods, hakes, grenadiers and other gadiform fishes known to date.
by Daniel M Cohen, Tadashi Inada, Tomio Iwamoto and Nadia Scialabba.  1990
Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, x + 442 pp.,illus. in black and white, maps.  Glossy pictorial boards, no dust jacket issued.
ISBN 92-5-102890-7

This order includes a number of commercially important species (to say the least).  In this volume to authors worked to provide a guide and accounting.  Eight families, 59 genera and over 180 species are covered.  They note that he phylogenetic relationships and thus classification were in flux, and a number of taxa were very difficult to separate from one-another (often requiring evaluation of internal or osteological traits).  The format is standard for these FAO volumes.  Illustrated identification keys are provided.   Detailed species accounts, illustrated with a quality drawing of the species (sometimes also illustrating diagnostic features) and a shaded area range map.  An extensive literature cited is included.






Fauna of U.S.S.R. Fishes Vol. IX (4):  Gadiformes (Translated from Russian)
by A. N. Svetovidov.  1962
Israel Program (1962), wrappers. 304 pp.,illus.

This volume is part of National Science Foundation, Israel Program for Scientific Translation.  The work was originally written and apparently even type set by 1941, but the war delayed work and the proofs were lost.  Eventually, the work was published in Russian in 1947.  This translation appeared some 15 years later, and was completed with the assistance of Dr. Svetovidov.  Well – why is this of interest? Science is a human activity, done by humans, within human institutions.  Despite the Second World War and the Cold War, this work did see the light of day – and was even offered in translation.  The works in the translation series are presented for their information value.  Not much attention is given to book crafting. They are bound in rather plain wrappers.on paper that quickly yellowed.  Sturdy and usable in the lab or field. My copy is from Tom Devany’s library.

The work itself presents just about all you could want to know about the basic biology of gadids from Soviet waters.  Identification keys are offered, the species are illustrated, the distributions of some are mapped, and the species accounts include details on identification, distribution, biology and exploitation.  The plates include black and white drawings of the fishes, with details views of their crania (from multiple angles).  It’s nice to see a little osteology – something lacking from most modern ichthyology.





Gasterosteiformes



A Functional Biology of Sticklebacks
by R. J. Wootton.  1984
London: Croom Helm, 265 pp. illus. in black and white, hard cover in dust jacket
ISBN 0-520-05381-8

Sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) came to be a key species in ethological studies.  They are easily kept and observed and have interesting reproductive behaviors.  The author of this volume works to gather and integrate the literature on this species and describe its biology and ecology. Fish (population, species, individual, pair, etc.) are objects of natural history (not plugs of tissue in a gel-runner’s hand or specimens in museum collection).  They have an ecology, life history, evolutionary adaptation and such.  And so they are treated in this work.  Anyone working with these fishes - in any field of study - would find this book a good place to begin.








Gymnotiformes

Species diversity and phylogenetic systematics of American knifefishes (Gymnotiformes, Teleostei)

by James S. Albert.  2001

Ann Arbor Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Miscellaneous Publications, No. 190, 127 p., illus. Wrappers.

Here we have the published version of a doctoral dissertation – a detailed and very cladistic treatment of the New World knifefishes.  A broad suite of non-genetic (real) characters are brought into play in the analyses presented here.  This includes osteology, soft anatomy and behavior.  This is the type of study that could be presented to new graduate students as a model on how to conduct, construct and present ichthyology.





Lophiiformes



Suborder Antennarioidei

Antennariidae

Frogfishes of the world:  systematics, zoogeography, and behavioral ecology
by Theodore W. Pietsch and David B. Grobecker.  1987

Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1987. xxii, 420 p., 16 p. of plates : ill. (some col.) ; 25 cm. Cloth covered boards in dust jacket
ISBN0-8047-1263-8

Any book by Ted Pietsch is going to be great.  His books are excellent ichthyology, with an added historical perspective that is as important as it is overlooked by many researchers.  This book covers the frogfishes, family Antennariidae.  These odd, lumpy creatures use a fishing pole and lure, derived from a dorsal spine, to attract potential prey close enough to the mouth to engulf. The introduction includes a detailed history of our knowledge of this group, nicely illustrated with antique paintings.  There is a lengthy, genus by genus, species by species systematic section, followed by discussions of the zoogeography and behavior of these fishes.  Numerous illustrations and maps are offered, along with a gallery of color plates.  This is the type of work that students should study to learn how to do and how to report ichthyological research.

Rarity / Desirability Note:  This volume was about $80 when first published – the few copies available right now are offered at several times that.



Suborder Ceratioidei

General


Oceanic Anglerfishes:  Extraordinary Diversity in the Deep Sea
by Theodore W. Pietsch.  2009
University of California Press. xii + 576 pp., illus. in color and black and white.  Black cloth covered boards in dust jacket.
ISBN 978-0-520-25542-5

In this thick volume, Dr. Pietsch offers a detailed review and revision of the deep sea angler fishes (suborder Ceratioidei).  Decades of research are found here on these odd creatures.  The first 300 pages handle the non-taxonomic details...history of study, phylogenetics, anatomy, life history, reproduction, etc.  Following this is a classification with full taxonomic treatment.  Identification keys are included.  This book reflects a great deal of thought and effort, not only involving the research, but also in the presentation.  It is beautifully illustrated, with great cover art by Ray Troll.
It’s nice a see a topic covered so carefully and completely but somebody who clearly understand and loves the topic at hand.



Gigantactinidae

Ceratioid anglerfishes of the family Gigantactinidae:  morphology, systematics, and distribution
by Erik Bertelsen, Theodore W. Pietsch and Robert J. Lavenberg.  1981
Los Angeles, Calif.: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Contributions in Science No. 332, vi + 74, illus.

The authors here give us a detailed analysis of this odd group of deep sea fishes, including osteology, external antomy, myology and some development.  A great deal of excellent detail (with great illustrations) on this group, with a dozen new species described.  I often wonder if these deep sea creatures which we find so incredibly odd would consider out terrestrial anatomy just as odd from their perspective.  A paper like this needs be put in the hands of new graduate students in zoology as an example of how ichthyology should be done.  This type of work shows the reach of traditional ichthyology.  The authors weren’t forced to employ genetic ‘characters,’ and actually examined and learned about the organisms they were studying, rather than inferring everything from small, radioactive smears on DNA gels.

Myctophiformes

Myctophidae


The lantern-fishes of Japan
by Charles H. Gilbert.  1913
Memoirs of the Carnegie Museum, Vol. VI(2): 67-107, pls. 11-14.  Wrappers.


David Starr Jordan in 1911 secured a number of fish specimens from Japan and Korea.  Myctophids from these collections and existing museum holdings were used by Dr. Gilbert to craft this regional revision of the family.  He lists and describes about 30 species, about 10 of which are described as new.  The descriptions are detailed and precise (as one would expect from Gilbert) and identification keys are provided.  Fishes are illustrated on 4 plates.

Perciformes

The Suborders of Perciform Fishes

by William A. Gosline. 1968

Proceedings of the United State National Museum Vol. 124(3647), 77 pp., 12 figs., soft cover

The author uses osteological and some fin traits to bring some order to the classification and evolution of perciform fishes, working at the suborder level. It’s certainly non-cladistic in thinking and presentation, but that’s not the point. Gosline had a keen eye for fishes and his insights are cogent.








Acanthuridae


Surgeonfishes of the World (Bishop Museum Bulletin in Zoology)
by John E. Randall. 2001.
Mutual Publishing.  ix + 125, illus. with color photographs.  Stiff boards in dust jacket
ISBN 1-56647-561-9

Here is a beautifully produced and presented volume on acanthurid fishes.  The book opens with overviews of the various aspects of acanthurid biology, ecology and even aquarium keeping.   Eighty species are covered in the species accounts.  Each species accounts comes with a diagnosis, distribution section and remarks.  The “remarks” includes all sorts of interesting details on the taxonomy or biology of the species in question.  Each opens with the etymology of the specific epithet (a nice touch).  The bibliography is extensive and includes original description citation (a feature I like).  There are no identification keys or maps.  The dust jacket of my copy gives the title as Surgeonfishes of Hawai’i and the World, the cover and title page read Surgeonfishes of the World.

Anabantoidei / Channoidei

Mémoire sur les poissons à pharyngiens labyrinthiformes de l'Inde archipélagique
by P. Bleeker.  1879
Amsterdam, Academie Royale Neerlandaise des Sciences, Verh. Meded. Akad. Afd. Nat. 19, (1878) 1879, 56 pp., not illus.  Wrappers.

Pieter Bleeker produced an enormous volume of ichthyological papers on marine and freshwater fishes of the Indo-Pacific.  Here’s his systematic summary of a group that in today’s classification would be the Anabantoidei and the Channoidei.  Taxa are diagnosed and described with their distributions noted.  This report is not illustrated.





Studies of Anabantid fishes, I-III
by Sten Forselius.  1957
Zoologiska Bidrag Fran Uppsala, Band 32: 93-597, illus. with text figs, black and white plates and one color plate


The author has devoted here a tremendous amount of thought and research to anabantoid fishes – behavior appears to have been his primary interest.  The introduction to Part 1 provides an overview on anabantoid fishes, and then a very detailed description and analysis of reproductive and territorial behavior – primarily of Colia lalia (a species easily kept and readily available in the aquarium trade).  Part II delves into anatomy and histology of certain elements of the endocrine system as a way to understand nest-building - black and white photograaphic plates are included in this section.  Part III contains theoretical discussions on causation and regulation of behavior and sex determination.  The volume ends with a summary in French.  This was the long an ofted cited work on basic anabantoid biology (the introduction to part 1) – although I expect, other than by dedicated behaviorists, much of the study goes un-read.
The price that natural history book dealers ask for this work suggests that it is still in demand.  It is a classic.
My copy is bound with the entire Vol. 32 of the journal – containing a few other articles on non-anabantoid subjects.










The comparative osteology and phylogeny of the Anabantoidei (Teleostei, Pisces)
by Karel F. Liem.  1963
Urbana, University of Illinois Press, Illinois Biological Monographs No. 30,. viii + 149 p. illus.  Issued in wrappers and green cloth covered boards (no dust jacket)

Here is Karel Liem’s impressive review of anabantoid osteology.  In this study, he dismantled, evaluated, described and drew crania and girdles of 100+ specimens from just about all genera recognized at the time.  A nice example of how to manage such a project.  The phylogenetic discussion is, of course, non-cladistic, but does contain interesting and useful insights into anabantoid phylogenetics.  My copy from the library of anabantoid behavioral research Rudy J. Miller.





Blenniidae


Osteology and classification of the fishes of the family Blenniidae
by Victor G. Springer.  1968
Washington, Smithsonian Institution Press, Bulletin of the United States National Museum No. 284, 85 pp., illus.  Wrappers

Springer offers us a systematic review of the Blenniidae (at the generic level) using comparative osteology - a powerful tool for exploring both a groups phylogenetics, but also aspects of niche and natural history.  Bones are features that interact with the environment, thus giving insight in to the latter, gene sequences not so much.  Drawings of the bones are found on full page text figures and plates bound at the end of the volume.







Carangidae



Pompanos (Trachinotus spp.) of the south Atlantic Coast of the United States
by Hugh M. Fields.  1962
Washtington DC, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fishery Bulletin 207: 189-222, illus. in black and white


Three species of the genus Trachinotus are known from the are of interest T. carolinus, T. falcatus and T. glaucus.  Two were described by Linnaeus and the third by Bloch, a fact that certainly suggests the are visible members of the fauna and considered of enough importance for specimens or accounts to be sent to Europe in these early days of modern ichthyology.  This report lays out detailed accounts of the biology and ontogeny of these species.   Better understanding of these fishes would allow better management, I expect was the rational for this work..  The report is illustrated with black and white photographs and well-executed drawings of larvae and juveniles.








Description of three new species of Carangoid fishes from Formosa
by David Starr Jordan and John Otterbein Snyder.  1908
Memiors of the Carnegie Museum, Vol. 4 (2): 37-40, 3 pls.  Wrappers

When a collection of fishes is acquired by a museum, an ichthyologist or two gets to sort through them, apply identifications and describe any taxa that appear to be new.  In this paper (as the title aptly states), three new carangoid fishes are described – as is a new genus.  I checked – none of the three ‘new’ species is presently considered valid.  Although the genus Ulua is still considered valid.  The descriptions are pretty standard, each species is illustrated with a full page plate.




Centrachidae

Notes on the genus Lepomis

by Barton A. Bean and Alfred Cleveland Weed.  1911

Proceedings of the U.S. National Museum 40 (no. 1824): 369-376, illus. 1911.

The authors in this small paper attempt to bring some sense to the classification of the widespread centrarchid genus Lepomis.  They review some of varied opinions on the subject and apply characters from the pharyngeal jaws in their analysis.  Illustrated with several photographic plates of pharyngeal jaws.

Hybridization of four species of sunfishes (Centrarchidae)
by William F. Childers.  1967
Urbana, Ill., Natural History Survey Division, State of Illinois, 1967. Bull. 29(3): 159-214, illus.  Wrappers.

This authors gives us a detailed set of studies with a good deal of theoretical background on the hybridization of Lepomis gulosus, L. microlophus, L. cyanellus and L. macrochirus.  Discussion includes description of hybrids, their biology and behavior and their suitability as sport fish – if artificially produced.  Hybridization experiments are described in detail.  And a color center plate shows specimens of each possible hybrid.   I find the use widespread of common names (common in fisheries literature such as this) annoying...but that's me.  This is a large amount of work on a fairly narrow topic - which goes to show that just about everything is of interest to somebody.







The Small-Mouthed Bass
by Carl L. Hubbs And Reeve M. Bailey.  1938
Cranbrook Institute (1938), Edition: First, softbound, 92 pp., illus.

This work sings the praises of Micropterus dolomieu, the small-mouthed bass (Centrachidae), written by Carl Hubbs (preeminent American ichthyologist of his day) and his (then young) student Reeve M. Bailey.  It is written for the non-scientist, perhaps with the angler in mind, although considerable scientific content is to be found here.  There are sections on the black basses in general, and a detailed accounting of just about all aspects of small-mouth biology and it intersection with humans as an under appreciated game fish.  The report ends with discussions of angling, artificial propagation and conservation.  I find that pieces such as these offer useful insight in to the mind set of conservation workers of the era, and snapshots of the state-of-the fauna at the time of their publication.  Illustrated with photographs, maps and drawings.

Cichlidae

The most complete colored lexicon of cichlids every known cichlid illustrated in color
by Herbert R. Axelrod. 1993.

Neptune, NJ T.F.H. Publications. 1993 864 pp, illus. in color. 32 cm. Cloth covered boards in dust jacket.

The title includes the phrase “most complete” and “every known” – which sets a pretty high bar.  This is essentially a photo book.  After just a few pages of front matter, the book launches into 100s of pages of photos (several photographs on most pages) of cichlids.  The book is divided geographically and the text for each species is quite brief.  Often containing mention of when and who described the species, and a few notes about size, breeding or temperament.  I am passingly familiar with cichlids from norther Central America, and at least some of those identifications match my views on those species.  I really don’t know cichlids well enough to critique Dr. Axelrod’s identifications in general (so I won’t).  The book is printed on shiny thick paper that TFH has used for their picture books. Certainly a good place to start to see LOTS of cichlids.

My copy is author signed.



Enjoying Cichlids
by Ad Konings (ed.)  1993
Germay: Cichlid Press,  240 pp., illus. in black and white and color.  Glossy pictorial boards.
ISBN 3-928457-17-9

Here is a basic guide to cichlids from an aquarium perspective.  It is edited by cichlidophile Ad Konings, with contributions from a number of other (mostly European?) cichlid folks.  The introductory chapters cover the fundamentals of aquarium management (from a cichlid perspective), including collecting (something that we hope people do always with the proper permits and respect for the integrity of natural systems).  The taxonomic sections describe various groups and types of cichlids and how they might be kept and bred in captivity.  There are 100s of color photographs of fishes.





Dactyloscopidae

Studies on eastern Pacfic sand stargazers (Pisces: Dactyloscopidae): 2. Genus Dactyloscopus, with descriptions of new species and subspecies
by C.E. Dawson.  1975
Natural History of Museum of Los Angeles County, Science Bulletin 22, 61 p., illus.

Dactyloscopids are cool fishes with dorsally set eyes and electric organs.  Dawson, in this report, offers us a detailed systematic accounting of the genus Dactyloscopus.  For each species, taxonomic, distrubutional and nomenclatural issues are addressed.  An identification key is presented.  Being largely a museum specimen based analysis, details on natural history are not prevalent.  Even if I never see a stargazer or work with the group, I like perusing studies such as this to look at methodology, styles of presentation and just to learn a bit about a group, I know little about.






Lethrinidae

Emperor fishes and Large-Eye Breams of the world (Family Lethrinidae) : an annotated and illustrated
catalogue of Lethrinid species known to date
by Kent E. Carpenter and Gerald R. Allen.  1989
Rome : Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, vi + 118, text figs., maps, 8 color plates. soft bound
ISBN 92-5-1-102889-3

Thirty-nine species in five genera are covered in this FAO catalogue.  They get the standard FAO treatment with a detailed introduction to the group and guide to their anatomy and diagnostic traigs.  There’s also a little early life history provided.   The keys are illustrated and the species accounts detailed, with illustrations of the species in question and a shaded area range map.  Color paintings in a gallery of color plates provide life colors.






Mullidae


Development and distribution of larval and juvenile fishes of the family Mullidae of the western North Atlantic
by Melba C. Caldwell.  1962
Washington DC, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fishery Bulletin 213 (Vol. 62): 403-457, illus.

Reports such as this one are certainly not the most often cited pieces of work in ichthyology, nor are they generally particularly earth-shaking.  However, they represent a significant amount of work, skill and support to produce.  It’s basic ichthyology.  The genesis of this report was (so states the author) a lack of relevant literature on this subject as they author attempted to identify small mullid specimens from a collecting cruise of the Theodore N. Gill.   She sought to address this shortfall in the literature.  A key and table of diagnostic traits is provided for the 5 species covered .  The anatomy, development and biology (such as known) of each is then discussed in detail.  Illustrated with photographs, drawings and graphs.








Percichthyidae / Perciliidae

A Review of freshwater percoids from South America (Pisces, Osteichthyes, Perciformes, Percichthyidae, and Perciliidae)

by Gloria Arratia F.  1982

Abhandlugen der Senckenbergischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft. No. 540, 52 pp., illus., 1982

Dr. Arratia has given us a detailed look at the percoid families Percichthyidae and Perciliidae.  This is good stuff.  Offered are careful and detailed diagnoses and descriptions of the various taxa using osteolgoical traits.  A new species is described and a new genus erected.  Fossil taxa are also brought into the mix. And not a gel-runner in sight, which makes it all the better.










Percidae

The swamp darters of the subgenus Hololepis (Pisces, Percidae)
by Bruce B. Collette.  1962
Tulane Studies in Zoology 9(4): 115-211, illus.

Here it is - a paper on freshwater fishes by extremely prolific ichythyologist Bruce Collette, know better for numerous contribution in marine fish systematics.  This is the published version of his Cornell doctoral dissertation.  It’s an exhaustive review of these small darters that inhabit a somewhat atypical (for darters) habitat – sluggish, turbid waters. The most familiar and wide-spread of these species is Etheostoma fusiforme.  Identity and diagnoses are offered using detailed analyses of meristic and other traits from a great many specimens (presented in fold-out charts).  These are small darters, so gathering these data were a lot of work.  The taxa are illustrated with black and white photographs, with a few drawings of diagnostic traits provided by Rudy Miller.  Taxa are mapped and relationships and biogeography discussed.  All in all a thorough and detailed study.

The Biology of Perch and Related Fish
by John F. Craig.  1987
London: Croom Helm; 333 pp : illus. with text figs and maps.  Hardcover in dust jacket.
ISBN 0-88192-045-2

Craig has offered us a compact and detailed coverage of the Percidae and a few relatives.  The emphasis of this book is on the larger more visible species that, in some areas, are sport or commercial fishes, especially Perca.  There is an overview of basic biology, including topics often (in the US, at least) classed as “biology of fishes” such as diet and community structure.  There is a section on basics of the Ethesostomatini, which are prominent members of the north American ichthyofauna, but less familiar to European workers.  The volume is set in courier font, which for some reason always looks odd to me when used in a book.









Distribution and variation of Etheostoma spectable (Agassiz) (Percidae, Teleostei)
by Donald A. Distler.  1968

The University of Kansas Science Bulletin 48(5): 143-208, illus.

Etheostoma spectabile is a widely distributed darter.  The author here works to understand the geographic variation exhibited by this little fish. Several subspecies are recognized here-in or described as new.  Distinguishing traits are detailed and discussed, and a color plate of breeding males is provided.  The acknowledgments in papers like this are always of interst.  This one is a who’s who of North American mid-western fish people and curators, as well as a number of people who I would guess were Distler’s fellow graduate students at the time of the research.








Environmental biology of darters:  papers from a symposium on the comparative behavior, ecology, and life histories of darters (Etheostomatini) held during the 62nd annual meeting of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists at Dekalb, Illinois, U.S.A., June 14-15, 1982
by David G. Lindquist and Lawrence M. Page.  1984.
Dr. W. Junk Publishers, The Hague (reprinted from Environmental Biology of Fishes 11(2), with additions), 127 pp., illus. in black and white.  Hard cover, pictorial boards, no dust jacket
ISBN 90-6193-506-7

Special topic symposia are often held at national meetings of scientific societies.  The research presented is often gathered in special volumes such as this.  Topics of the papers here include life history, ontogeny, reproductive biology and habitat selection.  A quaint inclusion is “A portable camera box for photographing small fishes” using Ektochrome 64 film (I have several rolls of exposed Kodachrome film – which I can’t get developed).  A side note--books by this publisher are always quite expensive.












Priacanthidae

Development and distribution of the short bigeye. Pseudopriacanthus altus (Gill) in the western North Atlantic

by David Keller Caldwell. 1962

Washington, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fishery Bulletin 203: 103-149, illus.

Here we are provided with a detailed accounting of the biology - particularly development - of a species presently known as Pristigenys alta. Lots of detail work went into this study. It helps us understand how this species works, but it can also be extended to understanding how the habitats are functioning and supporting other members of the community.

Scombridae

Tuna and Billfish:  Fish without a Country

by James Joseph, Witold Klawe and Pat Murphy, illustrated by George Mattson.
La Jolla, Calif.: Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission
2nd edition, 1980, vii + 46 pp., illus in black and white and color, soft cover
ISBN 0-9603078-1-8
4th edition, 1988, ix + 69 pp., illus in black and white and color, soft cover
ISBN 0-9603078-2-6

Tuna and billfishes are covered here in a more-or-less commercial or sport fishery context.  Introductory sections cover biology and ecology, management and exploitation.  Much of the book is taken up with full page color plates (nicely executed – perhaps a little impressionistic), with a map and range details on the facing page.









Sebastidae


A Guide to the Rockfishes, Thornyheads, and Scorpionfishes of the Northeast Pacific
by John L. Butler, Milton S. Love and tome E. Laidig.  2012
University of California Press, xii + 183 pp., illus. in color, soft bound
ISBN 978-0-520-27009-1

This guide covers the 84 species of rockfishes, thornyheads and scorpion fishes that are found in the northeast Pacific.  As a guide it is a little unusual.  The goal is to allow these species to be identified by divers or from photographs.  Traditional taxonomic traits that required preserved specimens or fishes in hand are not emphasized.  Each species account comes the basics of range (with a shaded area range map) and biology, along with a detailed diagnosis based on pigmentation and form.  Hundreds of excellent high resolution, color photographs grace the accounts and other sections.  Identification of juveniles is covered as well.  The prose is a little casual, occasionally tonge-in-cheek.  This is a particularly well presented and attractive volume.  I imagine it is quite useful too, but as of yet I haven't had occasion to identify rockfishes, et al., so I can't say for certain.





Guide to Northeast Pacific Rockfishes: Genera Sebastes and Sebastolobus
by Donald E. Kramer, Victoria M. O’Connell. 1988 (revised)
University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Marine Advisory Bulletin #25, Alaska Sea Grant, 78 pp., illus in color, Spiral bound, stiff wrappers.

1995 edition
University of Alaska, Fairbanks. School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, 78 pp., illus. in color, spiral bound, stiff wrappers.
ISBN 1-56612-036-5

This guide is printed on heavy coated paper; it would obviously be at home on a fishing boat or fish processing plant. That niche is the goal – a guide to allow easy identification of rockfishes in the field. Technical information and background are kept to a minium. Each species (total about 35) is covered on facing pages. One side has color photograph of freshly caught specimen, other contains outline details of identification, habitat, size and fishery import. There is also a black and white sketch of each with diagnostic traits noted.

I have two editions to compare, the revised 1988 edition (August) and the 1995 edition. The pagination is identical and I only find very minor differences in the text.


Serranidae


Review of Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Anthiine Fishes (Teleostei: Perciformes: Serranidae), with Descriptions of Two New Genera. 
by William D. Andeson and Phillip C. Heemstra.  2012
Transactions, American Philisophical Society.  Vol. 102(2): xvii + 173, illus. illus. with color plates and maps.  Stiff wrappers
ISBN 978-1-60618-022-8

We have a detailed revision of the Serranid subfamly Anthiinae.  There are keys and descriptions of new taxa – and nicely done systematic study.  Illustrations are mostly color plates of living or freshly preserved fishes.









Groupers of the world (family Serranidae, subfamily Epinephelinae):  an annotated and illustrated catalogue of the grouper, rockcod, hind, coral grouper, and lyretail species known to date
by Phillip C. Heemstra and John E. Randall.  1993
Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, viii + 382 pp., black and white text figures, maps, 31 leaves of color plates.  Glossy pictorial boards, no dust jacket issued.
ISBN 92-5-103125-8

One hundred and fifty nine species in 15 genera are treated in this volume.  A fairly brief introduction leads to a primer on grouper identification (well-illustrated), which gives way to identification keys and species accounts.  The species accounts are presented in standardized fashion - paragraphs are provided on diagnosis, distribution, habitat and biology fisheries interest, literature and remarks.  Unless I’m needing to identify a specimen (and I don’t think I’ve ever been asked to identify groupers), the “remarks” section is usually the most interesting to me.  There we’ll find comments on geographic outliers or taxonomic uncertainly or history.  Each account is illustrated with a black and white drawing (I believe all rendered for this volume) and a shaded area range map of distribution.  Most species are also illustrated in the color plates to show life colors - these are paintings or photographs of freshly caught specimens.  A lengthy literature cited is included.





Zoarcidae


Revision of the fish genera Gymnelus Reinhardt and Gymnelopsis Soldatov (Zoarcidae), with two new species and comparative osteology of Gymnelus viridis.
by M. Eric Anderson 1982
Ottawa : National Museums of Canada, National Museum of Natural Sciences, 1982.  Publications in Zoology No. 17.  iv + 76, illus., wrappers.

I love running across pieces like this.  This is basic ichthyology.  I always read the introduction of such works to learn about taxa that I’ll never formally study or perhaps even curate in a museum.  BUT it is still nice to meet them.  This is another comprehensive piece that has the look of a doctoral dissertation.  These fishes (called eelpouts) are give a thorough treatment - osteology, morphometrics, meristics.  Each species is illustrated and mapped; the osteological drawings are always appreciated by me.  Two new species are described; I always enjoy seeing how different people handle that ichthyological activity.  My copy comes from the library of Reeve M. Bailey (passed on to me as a duplicate); it bears his signature and a few notations within.



Scorpaeniformes


Scorpaenidae

Western Atlantic Scorpionfishes
by Isaac Ginsburg.  1953
Smithsonian Misc. Collections, Vol. 121 (8), 103 pp. illus., softcover

The author of this piece sought to stabilize the taxonomy of western Atlantic fishes of the family Scorpaenidae.  It was in a rather chaotic state with a number of incompletely known or poorly described and diagnosed taxa.  We Ginsburg provides is an detailed revision of the group using pretty traditional methods – literature is surveyed and evaluated, specimens are gathered and examined, types (as they are available) consulted.  A detailed introduction on methods is offered.  About 30 species are covered, with a large number of described taxa relegated to synonymy.  A key is provided.   Biology, natural history and such are not covered.  The literature cited is oddly brief (historic references are cited within the synonymies), but there is an index, an unusual feature for this type of report.  The drawings by Mildred H. Carrington are excellent, but, sadly, there are only 6 of these.




Esociformes


Life history of the grass pickerel (Esox americanus vermiculatus) in southeastern Wisconsin
by Stanton J Kleinert.  1966
Wisconsin State Conservation Dept, Technical Bulletin No. 37, 40 pp., illus. in black and white, soft bound

The widely distributed Esox americanus is a diminutive member of the pike muskie genus, cute but too small to be of much interest as a game fish.  It’s range extends into south-eastern Wisconsin and this report documents several years worth of data gathering and observations on the life history and generally biology of these Wisconsin populations.  Basic fishery and life history data were gathered and are reported here.  Attention is paid to reproductive biology - spawning and nursery areas growth and interactions with its game-fish congeners.  Lots of hard work and thought went into this study.  Illustrated with graphs and charts, and photographs of fishes, including some showing early life history.



Pleuronectiformes







Field guide to the flatfishes of the family Bothidae in the western North Atlantic
by Elmer J. Gutherz.  1967
U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, Circular 253, iv + 47 pp.,  illus. in black and white, soft cover

This work is short and to the point.  It’s essentially an illustrated key to the bothid fishes off the east coast of North America, “particularly those south of Cape Hatteras, N.C.”  Forty seven species are covered.  Identification keys are offered.  Each species is illustrated with a simple, diagnostic drawing, described, with its general range given.








Guide to northeast Pacific flatfishes: families Bothidae, Cynoglossidae and Pleuronectidae
by Donald E. Kramer, William E. Barss, Brian C. Paust and Barry E. Bracken. 1995
University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska Sea Grant College Program. vii + 104 p. : illus. in black and white and color. Spiral bound, stiff wrappers

ISBN 1-56612-032-2

This guide to northeast Pacific flatfishes is aimed at the non-technical person, non-ichthyologist who encounters and needs to identify these fishes. The characters are laid out in drawings and tables, not keys. Each species is covered on two facing pages. We have two color photographs of freshly a collected specimen (eyed and blind side), and a drawing noting the diagnostic traits. The text covers the basics - description, range/habitat, size and “remarks” (which include miscellaneous interesting tidbits. The covers are coated in a water proof layer, but the pages are not.





Salmoniformes



Galaxiidae



The galaxiid fishes of New Zealand
by R. M. McDowall.  1970
Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 139(7):  341-431, illus. in black and white, maps.  Soft cover

Thumbing through this monograph a few minutes ago, my first thought was, “this is McDowall’s PhD dissertation.”  Checked the introduction, and yes, that is the case.  It has the classic feel of well-executed dissertation work.  Galaxiid fishes are interesting little creatures, within intriguing biology and biogeographic patterns.  Fourteen galaxiid species are covered here-in.  Each species account is accompanied by a drawing, maps, tables and graphs.  Details of diagnoses, biology, natural history, etc. are covered.  Big-picture topics such as biogeography and phylogenetics are discussed.









Salmonids


Native Trout of Western North America
by Robert J. Behnke.  1992
Bethesda, Md.: American Fisheries Society, xx + 275 pp.,  illus. in black and white and color, maps.  Cloth covered boards in dust jacket.
ISBN 0-913235-79-2 (hard bound); ISBN  0-913235-78-4 (paper bound)

The trout of western North America are given a detailed overview in this volume.  Introductory material covers classification and taxonomy and biogeography.  The species accounts are lengthy covering diagnosis, distribution, life history, taxonomy management and conservation.  A gallery of Joe Tomelleri’s excellent paintings illustrates a number of species; there are also black and white drawings and distribution maps.  The popularity of trout as game fishes means that humans have been mettling with them for well over 100 years.  Stocks have been moved around, some pulled into hatcheries, bred there for generations and then returned to the wild (to native and non-native habitats), exotic species have been introduced.  Many of these alterations – esp. early ones – remain poorly documented. (I remember reading an article on test pilot Chuck Yeager - the fact that sticks with me most is a story he tells of using air force aircraft to carry “golden trout” from California and introducing them to mountain streams in New Mexico).  All of this adds challenges to understanding the evolution and biogeography of these animals.  Any uncertainty in these areas can create problems with making biologically sound management and conservation decisions.  A detailed summary such as this certainly brings it all together in one place.
This book is technical, although written in way that a non-specialist (interested angler, amateur naturlist) can get a lot out of it.  In this light, common names are used through out....I find this a little annoying because I constantly have to turn to the key to see just what an Alvord chub is or a June sucker.
For many years there was a company called Sea Challengers that published books on marine wildlife and had a great catalog through which they sold books on marine and freshwater wildlife.  This came to me via them, I believe.



A review of the Japanese salmons, Oncorhynchus masou and O. rhodurus with particular reference to their potential for introduction into Ontario Waters
by W. J. Christie.  1970
Department of Lands and Forests, Ontario. Research Information Paper (Fisheries) No. 37, 46 pp., illus., wrappers.
Humans have done much (to put it mildly) to damage the natural systems we that surround us.  One of the more insidious actions we have taken is the introduction of organisms to new regions.  Removing a species from the habitat in which it evolved and putting into a different one has the potential to create a variety of problems for organisms in the new habitat.  This is a tremendous problem and challenge in the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem integrity.

In any case — here we have a study to review the suitability of Japanese salmonids for introduction to Ontario.  The rationale is laid out in the first paragraph, essentially, humans have so badly degraded waters of the Great Lakes that native organisms have suffered severe decline.  SO (the thinking goes) perhaps something from Japan would be happy to spread into these compromised habitats.  This all seems to me to be highly outmoded thinking (as late as 1970).  Essentially holding the view that natural habitats are present to serve human interests only.

This report summarizes the fishery and ichthyological literature on these species (much of which is scarcely available in English).  This part of the report has some utility.  Then there is a discussion of the pros and cons of introduction.  The phrase “experimental introduction” is even used. An introduction is not “experimental” unless it can be undone.
And this is the crux of introductions – once the invasion has occurred, reversing it is nearly impossible.
And reversing introductions in nearly always desirable at multiple levels.  Example after example demonstrates this.
This was typeset on a typewriter.







Key to salmon and trout in the Great Lakes
Robert Gilmour Ferguson.  1969
Dept. of Lands and Forests, Toronto, Research Information Paper (Fisheries), No. 36 (1969), 16 pp., illus.

As the title states – here we have a key to trout and salmon of the Great Lakes.  Eight species are included in this key with details on how to separate them and identify common hybrids. Pretty standard piece of work.  Here’s the interesting (and sad) part – of the 8 species keyed, only two are native:  Salmo trutta (currently Oncorhynchus mykiss) and Salvelinus fontinalis.  The key is written to be useful to non-specialists and is illustrated with a couple drawings of key traits.

The trout - The New Naturalist No. 21
Winifred E. Frost and Margaret E. Brown.  1967
London, Collins, 1967.  286 p. illus., 17 plates (incl. 1 col.), maps, tables, diagrs. 21 cm. Cloth covered boards in dust jacket.

The trout is, in this case, the brown trout (Salmo trutta), native to Europe and widely distributed elsewhere.  This book is basically a primer on fishery biology, with the brown trout as it subject.  Just about all aspects of the biology are discussed.  The book is aimed, I imagine, at the angler and armchair naturalist.  I would like to think that at least some anglers would be interested in this depth of information about the fish(es) they seek.  Knowledge breeds enhanced appreciation. Better appreciation leads to better conservation and management.  Volumes in The New Naturalist series are collectable, and, in Britain at least, can command high prices.  My copy came to me from the library of my friend and colleague, the late W. L. Minckley.  I enjoy association copies, and this one is special to me. 

I like the stylized, graphic quality of the dust jacket art.

I note there is a later (1973) U.S. edition of this book.








Field Identification of Coastal Juvenile Salmonids
by W Pollard, G.F. Hartman, C. Groot and Phil Edgell.  1997
Madeira Park, B.C.: Harbour Pub., 32 pp., illus. in color.  Soft cover
ISBN 1-55017-167-4

Here’s a rather specialized little guide, likely of great use to those who need it.  It’s not a book I’ve ever used in the field or lab, but I’m glad it’s on my shelf.  About a dozen species are described and diagnosed in this little guide, which is aimed at assisting field workers identify them.  There are flow chart keys and species illustrated species accounts that provide essential data regarding each species.  Provided are a small plastic frame with small sample bags to hold live specimens for close examination.  The book is printed on water resistant paper.








Coregonid Fishes of the Great Lakes
by Walter Koelz.  1929
Bulletin of the Bureau of Fisheries for 1927, 43, part 2: 297-643, black and white photographic plates, text figs., fold out maps.  Also separate, paperback

I have no direct experience with coregonid fishes, but it’s my understanding that they have long resisted attempts to resolve their diversity/taxonomy.  They seem to have speciated widely in the many lakes (large and small) that they inhabit (inhabited) and are morphologically plastic.  Many populations are/were exploited by humans, often on a commercial scale.  This has lead to depletion of stocks AND hatchery production and stocking/transplanting of some forms.  This human interference has likely confused natural biogeographic patterns and degraded natural stocks with alien gene pools.  With that (my take on things) in mind, we have this work from 1929.  This thick work is an attempt to gather and synthesize what is known on the diversity of these creatures, their natural history and distributions.  There is a detailed introduction into these fishes and the challenges of working with them, an identification key and lengthy species accounts.  The fishes are illustrated by black and white photograph plates.

My copy has some history – it was once in the library of Ernest Lachner (showing his signature and handstamp), later ending up on the shelves of Robert E. Jenkens (his signature and a 1965 date).












Field Guide to the Pacific Salmon
by Robert Steelquist.  1992
Seattle, Wash.: Sasquatch Books, 64 pp., illus. in black and white.  Soft cover
ISBN 0-912365-64-1

This is book is for the angler or naturalist or just an interested citizen.  Information is given on the evolution and basic biology of Pacific salmon.  Species accounts, each illustrated with a drawing, provide an overview of taxon specific data.  Other sections describe migrations, spawning and conservation.  Also covered salmon watching, with a list of good sites to see these creatures in the wild.  That (viewing recommendations) is a nice addition to a fish guide and something not often seen.












Cutthroat Native Trout of the West. 2nd edition
by Patrick Trotter. Illustrated by Joe Tomelleri
University of California Press, Berkerley. 2008. x + 548. illus. 18 x 26 cm
ISBN9798 0 520 25458 9

Books on trout or other salmonids, it seems to me, are often present more like art books than fish books. This probably gives appeal to the dual audience of such books - the angler and the scientist or manager.  And this is a beautiful book.

Each species or distinct form of cutthroat is given a detailed chapter with a map, one of Joe Tomerlleri portraits and photographs of habitat.
The oblong format allows the portraits to be presented in large format. A nice idea.
I don't have a copy of the first edition (from 1987) to compare with this one.



Salmon, Trout and Charr of the World -A Fisherman's Natural History

by Rupert Watson.  1999

Shrewsbury, Swan Hill Press. 1999, 312 pp, illus. in color, cloth covered boards in dust jacket

ISBN 1-85310-888-X

A book for the general reader, angler, armchair naturalist on salmoniform fishes.  Front matter introducing these fishes is followed by a chapters on the various major assemblages (cutthroat trout, rainbow trouts, etc.).  Interactions with humans are highlighted.  Illustrated with photographs of habitat and fishes (mostly in their natural habitat).

Siluriformes

Contributions to North American ichthyology - Part IIB.  Synopsis of the Siluridae of the fresh waters of North America.

by David Starr Jordan.  1877

Bulletin of the United States National Museum for 1877-78. No. 10B: 69-110, 45 pls.  

DSJ works to bring order to the North American ichthyofauna and he starts here with catfishes (Siluriformes).  He calls his work a “synopsis,” which I take to be a first attempt at the group.  He examined all the nominal descriptions and a large number of specimens (mostly those in the USNM).  There are new species described here-in, and keys to some groups.  Forty-five plates of mostly outline drawings help clarify his views.

Heptapteridae

Pimelodella and Typhlobagrus
by Carl H. Eigenmann.  1917
Memoirs of the Carnegie Museum, Vol. VII(4): 229-258, test figs, pls. 29 - 35.  Wrappers

Here is another of Carl Eigenmann’s contributions to Neotropical ichthyology.  Here he offers a revision of the two catfish genera listed in the title – the second listed presently considered to be a synonym of the first.  Thirty five species are covered.  A key is provided and each species is described.  A number of new species are described.  New species are illustrated in the plates.



Ictaluridae


A Revision of the Catfish Genus Noturus Rafinesque, with an analysis of higher groups in the Ictaluridae
by William Ralph Taylor.  1969
United States National Museum, Bulletin No. 282, vi + 315 pp. illus. in black and white, maps.  Wrappers.

Ralph Taylor have given us a detailed, classically conducted, classically presented revision of this important group of North American fishes.  Species of Noturus are miniature ictalurid catfishes, characteristic of the eastern North American ichthyofauna.  In my experience, they are typical of clear, hard-bottomed, unpolluted streams, although certain species fill other habitat niches.  About 30 species are presently recognized, a number described by Taylor in this report.  There are identification keys.  Each species comes with a detailed synonymy, diagnosis, description, variation, spot maps,  etc.  There is a lengthy bibliography.  A series of plates illustrate the species discussed.  Revisionary Studies such as these set the foundation for further studies in other fields such as biogeography, evolution and phylogenetics, conservation, comparative anatomy/physiology and on and on.



Malapteruridae


A revision of the African electric catfishes, Family Malapteruridae (Teleostei, Siluriformes), with erection of a new genus and descriptions of fourteen new species, and an annotated bibliography
by Steven Mark Norris.  2002
Musee Royal de l’Afrique Centrale, Tervuren, Belgique.  Annales Sciences Zoologiques. Vol. 289, 155 pp., 78 figures and maps, colored cover.  Soft cover.

“In every respect a revolting fish” wrote angling author Hugh Copley in 1941.  In fact, the African electric catfish is not a single species as long thought (following the opinion of Georges Boulenger – who opinions were not always right, but were nearly always followed, at least for a few decades following his pronouncements), or even a small number of species as suggested by some by the 1970s.  The family in fact, is comprised of about 20 species, in two genera.  This fact was brought to light by the careful study of 1000s of specimens by a competent and skilled ichthyologist.  No DNA gels required, just a good eye for variation and an understanding of basic ichthyology.  The report details and supports the findings outlined in the title. The species are diagnosed using meristic, morphometic, pigmentation and sometimes other anatomical traits.  A fairly traditional and orderly accounting of the research is offered here – an introduction and historical overview is followed by diagnoses and descriptions of each of the taxa recognized - family, genera (Malapterurus and Paradoxoglanis, gen. nov.) and species.  Species accounts also include comments on detailed synonymies,  taxonomic and life history notes, and lists of specimens examined.  All references known to mention malapterurid catfishes are found in an annotated bibliography.



Schilbeidae

A systematic revision of the African Schilbeidae (Teleostei, Siluriformes) : with an annotated bibliography
by Luc De Vos.  1995
Tervuren, Belgique: Koninklijk Museum voor Midden-Afrika, Annalen Zoologische Wetenschappen, 1995.  Vol. 271, 450 pp., 229 figs, fold out map; 30 cm, Soft cover, issued with dust jacket.

Schilbeid catfishes are widely distributed in Africa.  The late Luc De Vos offers us an exhaustively detailed revision of this fauna.  The taxa are diagnosed and described.  Identification keys are provided, as is an accounting of their osteology.  Each species is illustrated, and mapped.  Lengthy discussions include fishery utilization, geographic variation, habitat, life history and more.  The fold out drainage map of Africa at the end is a nice feature.




Syngnathiformes

Syngnathidae

Indo-Pacific Pipefishes:  Red Sea to the Americas

by C. E Dawson.  1985
Ocean Springs, Miss., U.S.A: Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. 230 pp., illus in black and white, maps.  Cloth covered boards in dust jacket
ISBN 0-917235-00-2

Dawson here gives us an in depth coverage of the Syngnathidae, 47 genera and 175 species.  We have an introduction to the anatomy and diagnostic traits of the family, and keys to genera and species.  Species accounts are illustrated with black and white photographs and drawings and distribution maps.  The information imparted for each species is basic - descriptive features, distribution, taxonomic or other remarks.  The taxonomy and nomenclature of this group is tightly nailed down.  It ends with an exhaustive bibliography.  This type of work takes a great deal of careful study, sometimes detective work and record keeping.  This one was all done before the advent of email and internet exchange of information, and instantaneous access to literature via pdf files.





Sarcopterygii

Coelacanthiformes

History of the Coelacanth Fishes
by Peter L. Forey.  1998
London; Chapman & Hall, 1998. xiii + 419 pp. : illus. in black and white.  Glossy pictorial boards (no dust jacket).
ISBN 0-412-48300-9


Here we have a detailed overview of these fishes.  Latimeria serves as a reference point on coelacanths, being the only living genus.  Background is discussed and then skeletal anatomy described, element by element.  Cladistic phylogenetics using osteology and molecular traits is offered.  Taxa considered valid are listed and a lengthy bibliography closes the book.









The biology and physiology of the living coelacanth
by John E. McCosker and Michael D. Lagios.  1979
Occasional Papers of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 134, 175 pp. : illus. in black and white, soft cover

This is a volume of collected papers on the living Coelacanth, Latimeria chalumnae.  The opening chapters put the fish in historical context with contributions by Marjorie Courtney-Latimer and Margaret Smith.  Some phylogenetic discussion follows, along with papers on what I would term biochemistry.  There are MANY works on coelacanths.  Except for the first couple papers, this is not for the general reader.














The biology of Latimeria chalumnae and evolution of coelacanths
by John A. Musick, Michael A. Bruton and Eugene K. Balon (eds).  1991
Dordrecht; Kluwer Academic Publishers,. 446 p. : illus in black and white and color, maps
ISBN 0-7923-1289-9 (paperback)

This is a series of papers that originally appeared in the journal Environmental Biology of Fishes (Vol. 32, 1991).  A wide variety of topics on the evolution, anatomy, ecology and conservation of Latimeria chalumnae are covered in this volume.  Three’s a little bit of everything and a great place to start for insight into this fish.  There is a catalog of known specimens and where they are housed, and a detailed biobliography.
This book was issued in both paper back and hard cover.  Being published by Kluwer, both were rather expensive.