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Hypogean (cave, artesian) fishes have fascinated researchers even before they were described in the scientific literature in 1842. Since then, a number of scientists have used them to justify their own evolutionary ideas, from neo-Lamarckism to neo-Darwinism, from neutral evolution to selectionist approaches. Research in recent years has shown that these fishes are much more complex in their adaptations to the subterranean environment than previously believed: there are those with feature...

This book presents a collection of practitioner and community stories that reveal how invasive species management is a community issue that can spark community formation and collective action. It combines the unique first-person narratives of practitioners on the frontline of invasive species management in Australia with three case studies of community action for wild dog management across a range of geographical landscapes. The book offers readers a new understanding of how communities are form...

This work covers the natural history and captive management of the genus Corallus, a small group of highly adapted tree-dwelling snakes from Tropical America. Related to the ""giants"" of the snake world, such as the anaconda and python, their striking appearance and often exorbitant coloration have long made them popular subjects for herpetological study and interesting animals for zoological exhibition. Peter Stafford has published regularly on the subject of herpetology, including articles on...

Marine fishes represent astonishing diversity with respect to practically every aspect of their biology. Reproductive modes and sexual patterns are especially fascinating and provide deep insight into general evolutionary problems. In this volume, chapters focus on reproduction and sexuality among groups of fishes defined by habitat, taxon, and the reproductive processes that are critical for reproductive success. The book illustrates how knowledge of reproductive biology among marine fishes can...

Members of the family Cyprinidae dominate most of the aquatic habitats of Europe, from eutrophic warm water ponds to mountain lakes. The family comprises generalists and specialists, herbivorous, planktovorous and even one piscivorous species; slow-moving grazers as well as fast-swimming inhabitants of the pelagial of lakes. Due to their diversity and abundance, cyprinids play key roles in every ecosystem in which they occur. Being of little economic importance, however, the family has for the m...

An award-winning journalist, aquatic ecologist, and lifelong fisherman tells for the first time the surprising story of the rainbow trout, a revered icon for some and an all-too-common vexation for others Anders Halverson provides an exhaustively researched and grippingly rendered account of the rainbow trout and why it has become the most commonly stocked and controversial freshwater fish in the United States. Discovered in the remote waters of northern California, rainbow trout have been artif...

Although the concept of "matching the hatch" has been central to flyfishing for 150 years, it has been used almost exclusively for dry flyfishing. With Common Nymphs of Eastern North America: A Primer for Flyfishers and Flytiers, Caleb Tzilkowski and Jay Stauffer Jr. take trout enthusiasts in another hatch-matching direction-to the year-round underwater nymph "hatch," which, in most cases, constitutes 90 percent of trout diets. Successful flyfishers have at least rudimentary knowledge of the o...

Agile, sleek, and precise, sharks display many qualities we can admire and appreciate. These marvels of evolution have adapted to thrive in every major aquatic realm on the planet, from frigid Arctic waters through temperate but stormy seas and on into the tropics. However, few places on Earth are home to the amazing diversity of shark species that beautify the shallow waters of Florida and the Bahamas. In this first-ever book dedicated to the sharks of this region, biologist Jeffrey C. Carrier...

In this brilliant portrait of the oceans' unlikely hero, H. Bruce Franklin shows how menhaden have shaped America's national--and natural--history, and why reckless overfishing now threatens their place in both. Since Native Americans began using menhaden as fertilizer, this amazing fish has greased the wheels of U.S. agriculture and industry. By the mid-1870s, menhaden had replaced whales as a principal source of industrial lubricant, with hundreds of ships and dozens of factories along the eas...

This work displays each species of snake in its natural habitat - from boas, pythons and cobras to rattlesnakes, vipers and others from the jungles, deserts, forests, mountains, oceans and backyards of the world. Easy-to-follow diagrams and charts display facts about geographic range, anatomy, body temperature, colouration and life cycles. The book also covers their origin and evolution, nervous system and sensory organs, growth, reproduction, locomotion, environment and population dynamics.