W.L. Moody Jr. Natural History Series

American Aquarium Fishes

by Robert J. Goldstein, Rodney W. Harper, and Richard Edwards

Published 1 July 2000

For many aquarists, information on their hobby is limited to goldfish and exotic tropical fishes commonly available in local pet stores. Existing guides ignore native American species simply because few people have collected, kept, and successfully propagated them, and reliable information is difficult to find. In American Aquarium Fishes, Robert J. Goldstein and other serious aquarists, applying their specialized expertise on North American fishes, have compiled a comprehensive guide to hundreds of native fishes suitable for the home aquarium. American Aquarium Fishes corrects misconceptions about minnows and suckers, pygmy sunfishes and dwarf catfishes, perches and their tiny relatives, the darters, and even the mysterious blind cave fishes. This first-of-its-kind guide provides step-by-step instructions on where to find, how to identify, how to catch, and how to keep and even breed myriad backyard fishes. Goldstein explains why fishes occur where they do and warns against putting fishes where they do not belong. He discusses protected species and offers guidance on the rules for collecting in each state. He also gives detailed instructions on how to transport and ship native fishes across the country and around the world.A chapter on aquarium plants by Richard Edwards, accompanied by 24 line drawings, provides details on collecting and propagating the most adaptable and beautiful aquatic plants likely to be encountered by fish collectors everywhere. The work is enhanced by over 350 spectacular photographs by Goldstein, William F. Roston, Richard Bryant, Fred C. Rohde, and Garold Sneegas, featuring vivid underwater images of spawners in full nuptial coloration. Goldstein has provided a unique tool for American naturalists and a new dimension to the international hobby of breeding aquarium fishes. Destined to become the standard guide for housing and breeding American fishes, American Aquarium Fishes will be equally useful both to aquarists and biologists.