Springer Cyprinid Fishes: Systematics, biology and exploitation: 3 (Fish & Fisheries Series, 3)

Among the fishes. a remarkably wide range ofbiological adaptations to diverse habitats has evolved. As weIl as living in the conventional habitats of lakes. ponds. rivers. rock pools and the open sea. fish have solved the problems of life in deserts. in the deep sea. in the cold Antarctic. and in warm waters of high alkalinity or of low oxygen. Along with these adaptations. we find the most impressive specializations of morphology. physiology and behaviour. For example we can marvel at the high-speed swimming of the marlins. sailfish and warm-blooded tunas. air breathing in catfish and lungfish. parental care in the mouth-brooding cichlids and viviparity in many sharks and toothcarps. Moreover. fish are of considerable importance of the survival of the human species in the form ofnutritious and delicious food ofnumerous kinds. Rational exploitation and management of our global stocks of fishes must rely upon a detailed and precise insight of their biology. The Chapman and Hall Fish and Fisheries Series aims to present timely volumes reviewing important aspects of fish biology. Most volumes will be of interest to research workers in biology. zoology. ecology and physiology. but an additional aim is for the books to be accessible to a wide spectrum of non specialist readers ranging from undergraduates and postgraduates to those with an interest in industrial and commercial aspects of fish and fisheries. Review `It is a magnificent and stimulating piece of work ... ' The Biologist `There is no doubt that Cyprinids is an important book which should be in all University and other libraries where fish biology is the chief occupation. ' Journal of Fish Biology ` ...draws the knowledge of over thirty international experts to provide the first comprehensive account of the biology of the family. ' Aquaculture News `The importance of cyprinids in world fisheries and aquaculture ensures that this book will be of great interest to many working in these fields. ' Aquaculture News ` ...succeeds remarkably well in its aim to review the vast literature of cyprinid biology in a readable form...should be, and probably is already, a standard reference for ichthyologists and their students. ' Copeia