The Complex Lives of British Freshwater Fishes


Book Description

CHOICE 'Highly Recommended for all readers' June 2021 Vol. 58 No. 10 This stunningly illustrated book goes far beyond a run-of-the-mill nature guide. It explores the fascinating life histories of Britain’s freshwater fishes, a group of animals which, despite their importance and ubiquity in our diverse still and flowing fresh waters, has before now been rarely regarded and respected as 'wildlife'. Our native fishes tend generally to be considered as simply something for anglers to catch or for people to eat, yet they work enormously hard for us. Author Mark Everard, avid nature-watcher, angler and scientist, shows how freshwater fish provide food, ornamentation, sport and cultural identity, and highlights their huge importance for conservation as part of the living ecosystems upon which we all depend. He dives into the mysteries moving below the surface of our rivers and lakes, bringing the wonderful and fascinating world of the diversity of British freshwater fish species into plain sight and into mind. This unique book features over 100 full-colour photographs by pioneering photographer and filmmaker Jack Perks, whose work has featured on BBC Springwatch, The One Show and Countryfile. The book is filled with technical detail useful to conservationists and biology students. Most importantly, it is also presented in an accessible, visually attractive and engaging manner that will appeal to anybody with an interest in the natural world: the conservation-minded public, the angling community, and our nation of wildlife enthusiasts. Whatever your background, this book will open your eyes to our freshwater fishy wealth, and the many ways in which it enriches our lives.




Britain's Freshwater Fishes


Book Description

Britain hosts a diversity of freshwater environments, from torrential hill streams and lowland rivers to lakes and reservoirs, ponds and canals, and ditches and estuaries. Britain's Freshwater Fishes covers more than 50 species of freshwater and brackish fish found in these waters. This beautifully illustrated guide features in-the-hand and in-the-water photographs throughout, and accessible and informative overviews of topics such as fish biology and life cycles. Detailed species accounts describe key identification features, with information on status, size and weight, habitat, ecology, and conservation. The book also includes a glossary and suggestions for further reading. This easy-to-use field guide will be invaluable to anyone interested in Britain's freshwater fish life, from naturalists and academics to students and anglers. Covers all of Britain's freshwater fishes Features beautiful photos throughout Includes detailed information on more than 50 species, the places they inhabit, and their roles in Britain's ecosystems Attractively designed and easy to use




Burbot: Conserving the Enigmatic Freshwater Codfish


Book Description

The burbot has a unique ecology as the only member of the order of cod-like fishes found in freshwater. It is the second most widely distributed freshwater fish in the Northern Hemisphere, variously threatened, extinct or thriving across different parts of this wide paleoarctic range. Burbot were driven to extinction from Britain most probably in the 1970s, the last recorded specimen caught in 1969 in Cambridgeshire. Particularly over the past decade, a large body of work has addressed potential reintroduction of the burbot to Britain. The burbot’s diverse habitat and other needs throughout its life stages also mean that the species is a flagship for a diversity of other wildlife of restored river systems, and of the human benefits that these ecosystems can provide. Burbot is an excellent source for all those involved in freshwater fish and fisheries management, conservation and exploitation, including fish biologists (ichthyologists), environmental scientists, freshwater biologists, fisheries managers and scientists, conservation biologists, engineers and hydrologists. The libraries of all universities and research establishments where these subjects are studied and taught should have a copy. Anglers and all those interested in fishes and natural history will also benefit from this book. 5m Books




Freshwater Fishes in Britain


Book Description

For most British natural historians, there is one vertebrate order that could well be said to be “out of sight, out of mind.” This is our freshwater fishes, familiar principally only to anglers, those concerned with managing rivers and other waterbodies, and a few research scientists. The results of this project, which ran from 1998-2002, are published here in the form of comprehensive 10km square dot-distribution maps for the 54 species inhabiting England, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. These indicate the vulnerability of several of our native British species. Following a wide-ranging introductory chapter, and further chapters on distribution and the history of the project, Chapter 4 comprises the individual species accounts under the headings: Description; Biology and behaviour; Habitat; Distribution in Britain; World distribution; Status; Hybrids and related species; and a final section of the relationship of each species with Man. In addition to a map, each species is illustrated by fine lithographs taken from Francis Day's famous 19th century work, skilfully supplemented by Michael J. Roberts for those species unknown to Day. Chapter 5 covers conservation and management of freshwater fishes and is followed by four Appendices relating to (1) Publications; (2 & 3) Legislation; and (4) Selected websites relating to environmental protection, biodiversity information and fish conservation. The book concludes with a Glossary; a comprehensive Bibliography; and an Index. In his Foreword, Sir John Burnett, Chairman of the National Biodiversity Network Trust, commends this books as “a unique reliable source of clear and comprehensive information that is pleasing both to the mind and to the eyes” and expresses the hope that “it will lead to ... the more effective conservation of this ‘alien race’ in our midst.” A joint project of the Environment Agency, the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee; written by a team of 38 authors and compiled and edited by Cynthia Davies (CEH), Jonathan Shelley (EA), Paul Harding (Biological Records Centre, CEH), Ian McLean (JNCC), Ross Gardiner (Fisheries Research Services) and Graeme Peirson (EA).




Freshwater Fishes of North America


Book Description

H. Wilson




Ecology of North American Freshwater Fishes


Book Description

The North American freshwater fish fauna is the most diverse and thoroughly researched temperate fish fauna in the world. Ecology of North American Freshwater Fishes is the only textbook to provide advanced undergraduate and graduate students and researchers with an up-to-date and integrated view of the ecological and evolutionary concepts, principles, and processes involved in the formation and maintenance of this fauna. Ecology of North American Freshwater Fishes provides readers with a broad understanding of why specific species and assemblages occur in particular places. Additionally, the text explores how individuals and species interact with each other and with their environments, how such interactions have been altered by anthropogenic impacts, and the relative success of efforts to restore damaged ecosystems. This book is designed for use in courses related to aquatic and fish ecology, fish biology, ichthyology, and related advanced ecology and conservation courses, and is divided into five sections for ease of use. Chapter summaries, supplemental reading lists, online sources, extensive figures, and color photography are included to guide readers through the material and facilitate student learning. Part 1: Faunal origins, evolution, and diversity Presents a broad pictureÑboth spatially and temporallyÑof the derivation of the fauna, including global and regional geological and climatological processes and their effects on North American fishes. Part 2: Formation, maintenance, and persistence of local populations and assemblages Focuses on how local fish populations and assemblages are formed and how they persist, or not, through time. Part 3: Form and function Deals with the relationship of body form and life history patterns as they are related to ecological functions. Part 4: Interactions among individuals and species Discusses the numerous interactions among individuals and species through communication, competition, predation, mutualism, and facilitation. Part 5: Issues in conservation Focuses on several primary conservation issues such as flow alterations and the increasing biotic homogenization of faunas.







Freshwater Fishes of North America


Book Description

"The second volume of the definitive reference Freshwater Fishes of North America, encompassing families Characidae to Poeciliiadae, is the result of decades of analysis by leading fish experts from universities and reserch laboratories across North America" -- Page 4 de la couverture du volume 2.




Biology and Physiology of Freshwater Neotropical Fish


Book Description

Biology and Physiology of Freshwater Neotropical Fish is the all-inclusive guide to fish species prevalent in the neotropical realm. It provides the most updated systematics, classification, anatomical, behavioral, genetic, and functioning systems information on freshwater neotropical fish species. This book begins by analyzing the differences in phylogeny, anatomy, and behaviour of neotropical fish. Systems such as cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, digestive, reproductive, muscular, and endocrine are described in detail. This book also looks at the effects of stress on fish immune systems, and how color and pigmentation play into physiology and species differentiation. Biology and Physiology of Freshwater Neotropical Fish is a must-have for fish biologists and zoologists. Students in zoology, ichthyology, and fish farming will also find this book useful for its coverage of some of the world’s rarest and least-known fish species. Features chapters written by top neotropical fish researchers and specialists Discusses environmental effects on neotropical fishes, including climate change and pollution Details the phylogenetic occurrence of electroreceptors and electric organs in fish




Fishes in the Freshwaters of Florida


Book Description

This book is a comprehensive identification guide to the 222 species of fishes in Florida’s fresh waters. Each species is presented with color photographs, key characteristics for identification, comparisons to similar species, habitat descriptions, and dot distribution maps. Florida's unique mix of species includes some of the world's favorite sport fishes, the Tarpon and Largemouth Bass. This guide also features three species native only to Florida—the Seminole Killifish, Flagfish, and Okaloosa Darter—and the smallest freshwater fish in North America, the Least Killifish. Ranging from the panhandle to the Everglades, their habitats include springs, creeks, rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps, marshes, and man-made canals. As Florida's human population grows, the state's freshwater environments are being changed in ways that threaten its native fishes. This book provides important information on the diversity, distribution, and environmental needs of both native and nonindigenous species, helping us monitor and take care of Florida's water and its aquatic inhabitants.