Marine Fish Osteology


Book Description




Dictionary of Evolutionary Fish Osteology


Book Description

The purposes of the present dictionary are to define the osteological and taxonomic terms referring to fishes, and to explain the rationale, both anatomical and function, of fish skeletal units, in an evolutionary and biological context. This branch of biology – fish osteology – provides a deeper insight into fish evolution, bone homologies, fish terminology, and fish taxonomy.




Osteology, Phylogeny, and Higher Classification of the Fishes of the Order Plectognathi (Tetraodontiformes)


Book Description

The osteology of over 160 species of fossil and Recent plectognath or tetradontiform fishes is described and illustrated in relation to the supposed phylogeny and proposed higher classification (subfamilial to ordinal levels) of this group of approximately 320 Recent species of primarily tropical and temperate forms of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. The history of the classification and of the previous work on the osteology of the order is reviewed, while one new species (Acanthopleurus collettei, Oligocene of Canton Glarus, Switzerland) and one new genus (Eotetraodon, Eocene of Monte Bolca, Italy) are described. Comparative inclusive and exclusive definition are given for all higher categories based on both external and internal anatomical features. The Order Plectognathi (Tetraodontiformes) is divided into two suborders, the Sclerodermi or Balistoidei and the Gymnodontes or Tetraodontoidei, with a variety of other infraordinal and superfamilial categories, and 10 families, with subfamilial groupings in 4 of the latter.




The Ecology of Marine Fishes


Book Description

“A masterful accomplishment—Allen, Pondella and Horn have assembled a talented team of experts who produce authoritative, up-to-date accounts. This book will be used as the primary text in many fish biology courses and as a valuable reference elsewhere. Here is a wealth of data waiting to be mined by legions of graduate students as they generate the new ideas that will motivate marine ecology for years.”—Peter Sale, Editor of Coral Reef Fishes: Dynamics and Diversity in a Complex Ecosystem "A copiously illustrated and comprehensive interpretation of the past, present, and future state of over 500 species of fishes in Californian waters. A compilation of virtually all the many important studies on the ecology of California marine fishes."—Bruce B. Collette, National Marine Fisheries Service and co-author of The Diversity of Fishes




Comparative Bone Identification


Book Description

Building on the success, and maintaining the format, of Comparative Bone Identification: Human Subadult and Non-Human (ISBN: 9780367777883), Comparative Bone Identification: Human Subadult and Non-Human – A Field Guide presents new images of human bones representing many states of maturation from neonate to 20 years old in comparison to a variety of animal species’ bones. Highly illustrated, the book takes a visual approach and provides full annotations pointing out salient features of the most commonly discovered bones. This includes smaller bones of fetuses and subadult humans in comparison to bones of birds, reptiles, marine mammals, fish, and a frog that human bones may most be confused with. Full-color photos provide clear examples for use by law enforcement, medicolegal death investigators, forensic anthropologists, students, and readers who wish to distinguish between human bones and those of a variety of animal species. The book is not intended to be an exhaustive guide to human and nonhuman skeletons. It offers myriad photos and illustrations to help aid in identification and avoid some of the more commonly confused animal bones for human. The book begins with an introduction section on general osteology and explains the major anatomical differences between humans and other animals. The second section compares human and nonhuman bones, categorized by type of bone, and includes most of the major bones in humans and nonhumans. The third section presents of radiographs illustrated documented age in humans. Conveniently designed for field use, Comparative Bone Identification: Human Subadult to Nonhuman – A Field Guide offers users a practical comparative guide that presents the differences among species for nearly all bones in the body. The book serves as a valuable resource of easy-to-access information to investigators and forensic anthropologists for use in the laboratory or in the field.




The Ecology of Marine Fishes


Book Description

Marine fishes have been intensively studied, and some of the fundamental ideas in the science of marine ecology have emerged from the body of knowledge derived from this diverse group of organisms. This unique, authoritative, and accessible reference, compiled by 35 luminary ecologists, evolutionary biologists, and ichthyologists, provides a synthesis and interpretation of the large, often daunting, body of information on the ecology of marine fishes. The focus is on the fauna of the eastern Pacific, especially the fishes of the California coast, a group among the most diverse and best studied of all marine ecosystems. A generously illustrated and comprehensive source of information, this volume will also be an important launching pad for future research and will shed new light on the study of marine fish ecology worldwide. The contributors touch on many fields in biology, including physiology, development, genetics, behavior, ecology, and evolution. The book includes sections on the history of research, both published and unpublished data, sections on collecting techniques, and references to important earlier studies.




Biological Materials of Marine Origin


Book Description

This is the second monograph by the author on biological materials of marine origin. The initial book is dedicated to the biological materials of marine invertebrates. This work is a source of modern knowledge on biomineralization, biomimetics and materials science with respect to marine vertebrates. For the first time in scientific literature the author gives the most coherent analysis of the nature, origin and evolution of biocomposites and biopolymers isolated from and observed in the broad variety of marine vertebrate organisms (fish, reptilian, birds and mammals) and within their unique hierarchically organized structural formations. There is a wealth of new and newly synthesized information, including dozens of previously unpublished images of unique marine creatures including extinct, extant and living taxa and their biocomposite-based structures from nano- to micro – and macroscale. This monograph reviews the most relevant advances in the marine biological materials research field, pointing out several approaches being introduced and explored by distinct modern laboratories.




Frogfishes


Book Description

The authoritative expert's guide to fascinating frogfishes and their unusual lives. Winner of the PROSE Award for Best Single Volume Reference in Science by the Association of American Publishers Unique among the world's fishes, frogfishes display a bizarre combination of attributes and behaviors that make them a subject of fervent study. Through cunning and trickery, they turn would-be predators into prey; they "walk" across the ocean floor and jet-propel through open water; some lay their eggs in a floating mucoid mass, while others employ complex patterns of parental care; and they are certainly among the most colorful of nature's productions. In Frogfishes, two of the world's leading anglerfish experts, Theodore W. Pietsch and Rachel J. Arnold, bring together an enormous amount of information about these incredible creatures. The only detailed exploration of frogfishes in print, the book touches on everything from their morphology and biomechanics to their diets and habitats. Enhanced with more than 500 spectacular color images, the book also includes • a thorough look at about 5,000 preserved specimens; • an annotated synonymy for all extant taxa, as well as keys and tables to facilitate identification; • insights into frogfish feeding, locomotion, mimicry, and reproductive behavior; • descriptions of recent scientific advances, including the discovery of new species, shifts in geographic distribution, and emerging DNA sequencing techniques; and • tips for frogfish-seeking divers and aquarists that emphasize conservation. Unmasking the mysteries of frogfish evolution and phylogenetic relationships through close examination of their fossil record, morphology, and molecular reconstruction, Frogfishes demonstrates the surprising diversity and beauty of this remarkable assemblage of marine shorefishes.




Taking the High Ground


Book Description

This volume brings the remote and little known island of Rapa firmly to the forefront of Polynesian archaeology. Thirteen authors contribute 14 chapters, covering not only the basic archaeology of coastal sites, rock shelters, and fortifications, but faunal remains, agricultural development, and marine exploitation. The results, presented within a chronology framed by Bayesian analysis, are set against a background of ethnohistory and ethnology. Highly unusual in tropical Polynesian archaeology are descriptions of artefacts of perishable material. Taking the High Ground provides important insights into how a group of Polynesian settlers adapted to an isolated and in some ways restrictive environment.




Identifying and Interpreting Animal Bones


Book Description

Offering a field-tested analytic method for identifying faunal remains, along with helpful references, images, and examples of the most commonly encountered North American species, Identifying and Interpreting Animal Bones: A Manual provides an important new reference for students, avocational archaeologists, and even naturalists and wildlife enthusiasts. Using the basic principles outlined here, the bones of any vertebrate animal, including humans, can be identified and their relevance to common research questions can be better understood. Because the interpretation of archaeological sites depends heavily on the analysis of surrounding materials—soils, artifacts, and floral and faunal remains—it is important that non-human remains be correctly distinguished from human bones, that distinctions between domesticated and wild or feral animals be made correctly, and that evidence of the reasons for faunal remains in the site be recognized. But the ability to identify and analyze animal bones is a skill that is not easy to learn from a traditional textbook. In Identifying and Interpreting Animal Bones, veteran archaeologist and educator April Beisaw guides readers through the stages of identification and analysis with sample images and data, also illustrating how specialists make analytical decisions that allow for the identification of the smallest fragments of bone. Extensive additional illustrative material, from the author’s own collected assemblages and from those in the Archaeological Analytical Research Facility at Binghamton University in New York, are also available in the book’s online supplement. There, readers can view and interact with images to further understanding of the principles explained in the text.