In recent years, progress in fish biology has advanced at an unprecedented rate and has led to many breakthroughs in the field. This book provides a wealth of information on the strategies that fish adopt with respect to waters with markedly different physical and chemical characteristics. It shows how their physiology, behaviour and lifestyles are adapted to exploit particular niches and gives comprehensive insight into fish life under extreme conditions. The readers are introduced to the ways in which fish exemplify many phenomena of general biological interest - the existence of competitors, chaos, and predator-prey interaction. Fish pathology as well as the components of the immune system are addressed. In this book, original and at times controversial views are presented, areas which have so far received inadequate attention are highlighted and avenues for further research are suggested.
Reproductive Biology of Teleost Fishes is the first integrated review of the reproductive biology of the bony fishes, which are the most species-rich and diversified group of vertebrates. Teleosts display remarkable variation in their modes of reproduction, and this volume is intended to provide a framework for understanding the remarkable reproductive diversity of this group. It describes their reproductive biology using, wherever possible, phylogenetic analyses and life-history theory as a means to interpret the information. The book addresses the genetic, physiological, behavioural, ecological, evolutionary and applied aspects of teleost reproduction in a comparative framework that emphasises the adaptive basis of reproductive diversity. Reproductive Biology of Teleost Fishes provides a comprehensive synthesis of fish reproduction that will be of great interest to life scientists, particularly ecologists, evolutionary biologists, physiologists and advanced undergraduates, postgraduates and research workers requiring a comprehensive overview of fish reproduction. The book is suitable for courses in fish biology and ecology, reproductive physiology and reproductive genetics. It also addresses applied questions and will be of value for courses on fisheries science and aquaculture. Libraries in all universities and research establishments where biological sciences, fisheries science and aquaculture are studied and taught should have several copies of this important book on their shelves.
There are more than 33,000 species of living fishes, accounting for more than half of the extant vertebrate diversity on Earth. This unique and comprehensive reference showcases the basic anatomy and diversity of all 82 orders of fishes and more than 150 of the most commonly encountered families, focusing on their distinctive features. Accurate identification of each group, including its distinguishing characteristics, is supported with clear photographs of preserved specimens, primarily from the archives of the Marine Vertebrate Collection at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. This diagnostic information is supplemented by radiographs, additional illustrations of particularly diverse lineages, and key references and ecological information for each group. An ideal companion to primary ichthyology texts, Fishes: A Guide to Their Diversity gives a broad overview of fish morphology arranged in a modern classification system for students, fisheries scientists, marine biologists, vertebrate zoologists, and everyday naturalists. This survey of the most speciose group of vertebrates on Earth will expand the appreciation of and interest in the amazing diversity of fishes.
THE DIVERSITY OF FISHES The third edition of The Diversity of Fishes is a major revision of the widely adopted ichthyology textbook, incorporating the latest advances in the biology of fishes and covering taxonomy, anatomy, physiology, biogeography, ecology, and behavior. Key information on the evolution of various fishes is also presented, providing expansive and conclusive coverage on all key topics pertaining to the field. To aid in reader comprehension, each chapter begins with a summary that provides a broad overview of the content of that chapter, which may be particularly useful for those using the text for a course who don’t intend to address every chapter in detail. Detailed color photographs throughout the book demonstrate just some of the diversity and beauty of fishes that attract many to the field. A companion website provides related videos selected by the authors, instructor resources, and additional references and websites for further reading. Sample topics covered and learning resources included in The Diversity of Fishes are as follows: How molecular genetics has transformed many aspects of ichthyology The close relationship between structure and function, including adaptations to special environments Many physical and behavioral adaptations reflecting the fact that many fishes are both predators and prey Fish interactions with other species within fish assemblages and broader communities, plus their impacts on ecosystems Global maps that more accurately represent the comparative sizes of oceans and land masses than maps used in prior editions For students, instructors, and individuals with an interest in ichthyology, The Diversity of Fishes is an all-in-one introductory resource to the field, presenting vast opportunities for learning, many additional resources to aid in information retention, and helpful recommendations on where to go to explore specific topics further.
The second edition of The Diversity of Fishes represents a major revision of the world’s most widely adopted ichthyology textbook. Expanded and updated, the second edition is illustrated throughout with striking color photographs depicting the spectacular evolutionary adaptations of the most ecologically and taxonomically diverse vertebrate group. The text incorporates the latest advances in the biology of fishes, covering taxonomy, anatomy, physiology, biogeography, ecology, and behavior. A new chapter on genetics and molecular ecology of fishes has been added, and conservation is emphasized throughout. Hundreds of new and redrawn illustrations augment readable text, and every chapter has been revised to reflect the discoveries and greater understanding achieved during the past decade. Written by a team of internationally-recognized authorities, the first edition of The Diversity of Fishes was received with enthusiasm and praise, and incorporated into ichthyology and fish biology classes around the globe, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The second edition is a substantial update of an already classic reference and text. Companion resources site This book is accompanied by a resources site: www.wiley.com/go/helfman The site is being constantly updated by the author team and provides: · Related videos selected by the authors · Updates to the book since publication · Instructor resources · A chance to send in feedback
The percid fishes (or perch family) comprise many species including the perch, pikeperch, yellow perch, walleye and the darters. These species are of great ecological and economic importance, being important components of the freshwater ecosystem and recreational and commercial fisheries. Percid Fishes covers aspects such as systematics, morphology, biology, ecology, diseases and parasites and the economic importance of percid fisheries. Special emphasis is placed within the book on the complex relationship between this family of fishes and their environment and how they respond to perturbations, especially those induced by humans. The author, John Craig who has a great deal of experience working on these fishes in many of the countries in which they occur, has drawn together an extremely important book which provides a unique, comprehensive and indispensable review of this most significant group of fish.
Fish form an extremely diverse group of vertebrates. At a conservative estimate at least 40% of the world's vertebrates are fish. On the one hand they are united by their adaptations to an aquatic environment and on the other they show a variety of adaptations to differing environmental conditions - often to extremes of temperature, salinity, oxygen level and water chemistry. They exhibit an array of behavioural and reproductive systems. Interesting in their own right, this suite of adaptive physiologies provides many model systems for both comparative vertebrate and human physiologists. This four volume encyclopedia covers the diversity of fish physiology in over 300 articles and provides entry level information for students and summary overviews for researchers alike. Broadly organised into four themes, articles cover Functional, Thematic, and Phylogenetic Physiology, and Fish Genomics. Functional articles address the traditional aspects of fish physiology that are common to all areas of vertebrate physiology including: Reproduction, Respiration, Neural (Sensory, Central, Effector), Endocrinology, Renal, Cardiovascular, Acid-base Balance, Osmoregulation, Ionoregulation, Digestion, Metabolism, Locomotion, and so on. Thematic Physiology articles are carefully selected and fewer in number. They provide a level of integration that goes beyond the coverage in the Functional Physiology topics and include discussions of Toxicology, Air-breathing, Migrations, Temperature, Endothermy, etc. Phylogenetic Physiology articles bring together information that bridges the physiology of certain groupings of fishes where the knowledge base has a sufficient depth and breadth and include articles on Ancient Fishes, Tunas, Sharks, etc. Genomics articles describe the underlying genetic component of fish physiology and high light their suitability and use as model organisms for the study of disease, stress and physiological adaptations and reactions to external conditions. Winner of a 2011 PROSE Award Honorable Mention for Multivolume Science Reference from the Association of American Publishers The definitive encyclopedia for the field of fish physiology Three volumes which comprehensively cover the entire field in over 300 entries written by experts Detailed coverage of basic functional physiology of fishes, physiological themes in fish biology and comparative physiology amongst taxonomic Groups Describes the genomic bases of fish physiology and biology and the use of fish as model organisms in human physiological research Includes a glossary of terms
The integument plays an important role in the survival of meta zoans by separating and protecting them from a hostile environ ment. Its function ranges from protection against injury and in fection, participation in the regulation of body temperature and water balance, to respiratory activity, monitoring of the environ ment and production of signals related to behaviour. All these result from specific structural, biochemical and physiological properties of intra-and extracellular components of the integu ment. Thus its characterization can be best accomplished by a multidisciplinary approach with authors specialized in different fields of science. This multi-author book, in two volumes, provides an up-to date survey of the literature. The first volume deals with the integument of invertebrates, the second with that of vertebrates, both organized primarily on a phylum basis. As the level of knowledge on the integument of phyla differs considerably, the information provided is correspondingly either limited or con densed. For some of the smaller groups of invertebrates little information is available, as often only a few electron micrographs are to be found in the literature ; on the other hand, from the large body of knowledge existing for vertebrates, particularly for mammals, no complete overview can be provided, but publica tions giving access to further information have been reviewed critically.