Oryzias latipes, known as medaka, is a model organism from East Asia. Breeding of this small, egg-laying freshwater teleost fish has long been popular among hobbyists in Japan. Now, as biological science has entered the genome era, the medaka provides significant advantages that make it one of the most valuable vertebrate models: a large collection of spontaneous mutants collected over a century, the presence of highly polymorphic inbred lines established over decades, and a recently completed genome sequence. This book is the first comprehensive monograph to cover a variety of medaka research. It opens with a historical view of medaka, followed by a series of research topics in the four major areas where the medaka is increasingly important: genomics, genetics, and resources; organogenesis and disease models; germ cells, sex determination, and reproduction; and evolution. Readers will find state-of-the-art information on medaka genetics and genomics such as the first isolation of active transposons in vertebrates, the influence of chromatin structure on sequence variation, fine QTL analysis, and versatile mutants as human disease models.

“Anyone fascinated by the underwater world will be riveted by the photos in this richly illustrated guide... Readers can lose themselves in the magnificent environment beneath the sea....� —Publishers Weekly on the first edition of Reef Life. From tide pools to coral reefs and the open ocean beyond lies a world abounding with colourful and fascinating creatures. The lure of the life that inhabits the ocean’s reefs and open waters is no secret to scuba enthusiasts and snorkellers who enjoy gazing upon this wonderful world through their dive masks. A practical and comprehensive guidebook for divers, naturalists and ocean lovers, Reef Life identifies the most commonly encountered animals in the tropical marine environment. This marvellous book features more than 1,000 beautiful colour photographs that provide a window into this magnificent world. A gallery of over 425 ray-finned fish species, as well as elasmobranchs (sharks, rays and skates), invertebrates, marine reptiles and marine mammals, offers readers an extensive identification guide to the most commonly seen marine species, with detailed descriptions of size, habitat, range and behaviour. The book also includes: A guide to tropical marine ecosystems; Surveys of global coral reef communities, from the Caribbean to the Red Sea; And a discussion about the factors that are threatening marine ecosystems today. This updated edition features new photographs, 33 new species profiles and an extended chapter about the state of the ocean and reefs on our rapidly changing planet. Reef Life is a handy, portable and comprehensive reference in a time when understanding and appreciating the diversity of our tropical oceans is at a critical point.

Fishes that walk, fishes that breathe air, fishes that look like--and are--monsters from the deep. These and many more strange creatures swim through "The Rise of Fishes," John A. Long's richly illustrated tour of the past 500 million years. Long has updated his classic work with illustrations of recent fossil discoveries and new interpretations based on genetic analyses. He reveals how fishes evolved from ancient, jawless animals, explains why fishes have survived on the Earth for so long, and describes how they have become the dominant aquatic life-form. Indeed, to take things a step further, we learn much about ourselves through this book, for all amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are descendants of ancient fishes.

Clear, accessible, and engaging, "The Rise of Fishes" combines scientific expertise with entertaining stories about Long's own excursions, which span the oceans and continents. The book includes photographs of fossils from around the world as well as dramatic color illustrations depicting what those fishes may have actually looked like.

This book represents an introductory review of disturbance ecology and threat analysis, providing schematic concepts and approaches useful for work on sites that are affected by the impact of human actions. It is aimed at conservation and environmental practitioners, who will find tips for choosing methods and approaches when there are conflicts between the natural components and human activity. It is also addressed to students of applied ecology, ecosystem management, land-use planning and environmental impact assessment. It discusses a number of topics covered in the programs of many university courses related to basic ecology and ecology of disturbance, the latter constituting a field of great interest because of its implications and repercussions in applied territorial science. The book is divided into two parts: the first focuses on the theoretical and disciplinary framework of the ecology of disturbance, while the second is devoted to the analysis of anthropogenic threats. This, in particular, discusses the most recent approach, which uses a conventional nomenclature to allow a coarse-grained quantification and objective assessment of threat impact on different environmental components. Such an approach facilitates the comparison of hierarchically different events and, therefore, helps define the priorities for management and conservation strategies.

This book gives a start-to-finish overview of the whole Fish4Knowledge project, in 18 short chapters, each describing one aspect of the project. The Fish4Knowledge project explored the possibilities of big video data, in this case from undersea video. Recording and analyzing 90 thousand hours of video from ten camera locations, the project gives a 3 year view of fish abundance in several tropical coral reefs off the coast of Taiwan. The research system built a remote recording network, over 100 Tb of storage, supercomputer processing, video target detection and tracking, fish species recognition and analysis, a large SQL database to record the results and an efficient retrieval mechanism. Novel user interface mechanisms were developed to provide easy access for marine ecologists, who wanted to explore the dataset. The book is a useful resource for system builders, as it gives an overview of the many new methods that were created to build the Fish4Knowledge system in a manner that also allows readers to see how all the components fit together.

The definitive resource on tunas and billfishes from the world's top authorities. Tunas and billfishes are peak predators of the oceans. Admired by scientists and naturalists for their speed, grace, unique physiology, and diversity, they are important both ecologically and socioeconomically. Vital sources of food and income for many maritime nations, whose fleets of vessels target them with huge purse seines or miles-long lines, these exhilarating fishes are also highly desired and avidly sought by big game fishers across the globe. In Tunas and Billfishes of the World, Bruce Collette, a leading marine ichthyologist and conservationist, and John Graves, an expert on the biology, fisheries, and management of tunas and billfishes, focus on three families of fishes: Scombridae, the mackerels and tunas; Istiophoridae, sailfish and marlins; and Xiphiidae, the Swordfish. Over the course of 61 in-depth species accounts, Collette and Graves * describe what each species looks like and where it lives * include detailed summaries of the fishes' biology-size, food, habitat, reproduction, and early life history * offer current information about fisheries interests and conservation status * provide up-to-date evaluations of the threat status for each species Accompanied by full-color, scientifically accurate illustrations by renowned illustrator Val Kells, along with range maps for each species, this spectacular volume is the essential book on these majestic inhabitants of the sea. Destined to quickly become the standard reference for scientists, students, and naturalists, Tunas and Billfishes of the World will also be prized by all fishers who pursue these species.

Essential Fish Biology provides an introductory overview of the functional biology of fish and how this may be affected by the widely contrasting habitat conditions within the aquatic environment. It describes the recent advances in comparative animal physiology which have greatly influenced our understanding of fish function as well as generating questions that have yet to be resolved. Fish taxa represent the largest number of vertebrates, with over 25,000 extant species. However, much of our knowledge, apart from taxonomy and habitat descriptions, has been based on relatively few of them , usually those which live in fresh water and/or are of commercial interest. Unfortunately there has also been a tendency to base our interpretation of fish physiology on that of mammalian systems, as well as to rely on a few type species of fish. This accessible textbook will redress the balance by using examples of fish from a wide range of species and habitats, emphasizing diversity as well as recognizing shared attributes with other vertebrates.

The edited book covers the climate change impact broadly across the ecosystems including increasing pressure on livelihood and food supplies to the society. Climate change, in particular, rising temperatures, can have both direct and indirect effects on global fish production. Fisheries and aquaculture is one of the important sectors of agriculture for livelihood and nutritional security. Fish, being poikilothermic in nature are very sensitive to any change in the ecosystem. In commercial aquaculture, it is crucial to ensure that environmental rearing conditions are adequate, if not optimal, for fish growth, welfare and profitability. Thus, the book develops an understanding regarding changes in relevant environmental parameters and its affect in the growth and physiological performance of fish. Fish feeds on natural food organisms, but the adverse changes in the ecosystem attracts nutritionists to provide better food and feeding strategies for optimum growth and survival of the fish. it is become necessary to develop preparedness about the changes and their mitigation strategies through fish nutrition and feeding strategies. This book addresses the potential impact of climate change on the aquaculture sector under sections - Assessment of Global Warming Impact on aquatic resources and fish production, Adaptation in Fish Digestive Physiology and Biochemistry under Changing Environment, Prioritization of fish feed technology with respect to changing climate for adaptation and mitigation, Strategies and planning on reproductive physiology and feed management for biodiversity conservation. The chapters are contributed by the experts in the field of fish nutrition and physiology. The book assists fish farmers, entrepreneurs, planners and advisors specifically related to nutritional and physico-biochemical changes in fishes to adapt or mitigate the adverse effect of climate change.

This book summarizes the key adaptations enabling extremophile fishes to survive under harsh environmental conditions. It reviews the most recent research on acidic, Antarctic, cave, desert, hypersaline, hypoxic, temporary, and fast-flowing habitats, as well as naturally and anthropogenically toxic waters, while pointing out generalities that are evident across different study systems. Knowledge of the different adaptations that allow fish to cope with stressful environmental conditions furthers our understanding of basic physiological, ecological, and evolutionary principles. In several cases, evidence is provided for how the adaptation to extreme environments promotes the emergence of new species. Furthermore, a link is made to conservation biology, and how human activities have exacerbated existing extreme environments and created new ones. The book concludes with a discussion of major open questions in our understanding of the ecology and evolution of life in extreme environments.

As the largest group of extant vertebrates, fish offer an almost limitless number of striking examples of evolutionary adaptation to environmental and biotic selection pressure. The most diverse of all vertebrate groups, the higher taxa of fish traditionally have been classified by morphology and paleontology, with a much smaller input of cytogenetic information. DNA sequence data are exerting an increasingly strong influence on modern fish systematics, challenging the classification of numerous higher taxa ranging from genera to orders. The most fruitful approach, however, involves synthetic analyses of morphology, molecular phylogenetics, comparative karyology, and genome size. Karyotypes of more than 3400 species/subspecies are arranged here by fish systematics and include a list of genome size, sex chromosomes, B chromosomes, polyploidy, and locality of material fish, among others. This volume enables both beginners and advanced researchers to survey the existing literature and facilitates the implementation of an integrative approach to fish systematics. The first book on fish chromosomes in nearly 15 years, it is also the most comprehensive.

A comprehensive guide to the freshwater fishes of the Okavango Delta and Chobe River, this book offers background information on the diverse aquatic habitats of the region and on fish feeding, breeding and survival strategies. It also provides useful hints for anglers. The species entries describe each fish in detail, with key ID points and information on habits and occurrence. Each account is accompanied by a colour illustration or photograph. The book concludes with information on how best to utilise and conserve the fishes of the delta system and Chobe River.

This is the only such guide to fishes of the region and will be invaluable to local and visiting fishermen, naturalists, conservationists, as well as the many tourists who visit this spectacular African paradise.

The book, entitled "Welfare of farmed fish in present and future production systems", summarises the view of more than 80 experts in the field of fish welfare, collected over a period of more than five years in an international network entitled "Welfare of Fish in European Aquaculture" (Cost action 867), which was sponsored by the COST Office. COST is the acronym for European Cooperation in Science and Technology. During the time of the action a shift became evident in the general perception of fish welfare. It now not only includes variables with very direct effects on growth, and thereby the economy of the farmer, such as disease, water and feed quality, but the term also includes fish preferences and biology-based stimulation measures. This Cost action has contributed to the notion that welfare sets biological criteria for a sustainable production system. We present the reader with an overview of the results obtained, which can help to guide the way towards welfare of farmed fish in present and future production systems. The first chapter gives an overview of the scientific papers that follow. All scientific papers and the first chapter were previously published in Fish Physiology and Biochemistry, vol. 38, number 1, 2012. Given the accruing interest in fish welfare in society, each of these scientific papers should be accessible for stakeholders that are not part of the research community. For that reason each of the scientific papers is preceded by a summary for non-experts. Previously published in Fish Physiology and Biochemistry, vol. 38, number 1, 2012

The fresh waters of the British Isles are diverse, ranging from torrential hill streams to powerful rivers and wide, meandering lowland channels. Canals and drainage channels, ranging in size from ditches to the large Fenland drains of eastern England also hold fish, as do reservoirs, lakes, ponds and other still water bodies. The fish themselves are correspondingly varied. This pocket-sized book provides information about the 54 native, invasive and naturalised species found in the UK today, and includes a photograph of each to allow easy identification

From shark attack survivor to the shark's biggest advocate, Paul de Gelder tells us just why these majestic diverse animals need our help as much as we need them. Something happens to you the first time you dive with sharks... We have a perennial fascination with sharks. Portrayed in the media and popular culture as killing machines, we are awed by their power and strength. But the shark is so much more - a marvel of the sea, they have evolved over 450 million years into over 500 species, from the bioluminescent kitefin to the tiny dwarf lantern shark, the sociable lemon shark to the blue shark, which can birth up to 100 pups in one litter. Bringing balance to the ocean's ecosystem, our planet is at serious risk when these amazing creatures are threatened. Paul de Gelder, who lost two limbs in a shark attack during a mission as an elite Australian navy clearance diver, spent time as part of his recovery learning all about sharks. He became so obsessed that, despite what happened to him, he is now an expert and has dedicated his life to helping save them. Shark is his love-letter to these unfairly vilified animals, and his warning to the world about what will happen if we don't look out for them.

Forest trees cover 30% of the earth's land surface, providing renewable fuel, wood, timber, shelter, fruits, leaves, bark, roots, and are source of medicinal products in addition to benefits such as carbon sequestration, water shed protection, and habitat for 1/3 of terrestrial species. However, the genetic analysis and breeding of trees has lagged behind that of crop plants. Therefore, systematic conservation, sustainable improvement and pragmatic utilization of trees are global priorities. This book provides comprehensive and up to date information about tree characterization, biological understanding, and improvement through biotechnological and molecular tools.

A question often asked of those of us who work in the seemingly esoteric field of fish vision is, why? To some of us the answer seems obvious - how many other visual scientists get to dive in a tropical lagoon in the name of science and then are able to eat their subjects for dinner? However, there are better, or at least scientifically more acceptable, reasons for working on the visual system of fish. First, in terms of numbers, fish are by far the most important of all vertebrate classes, probably accounting for over half (c. 22 000 species) of all recognized vertebrate species (Nelson, 1984). Furthermore, many of these are of commercial importance. Secondly, if one of the research aims is to understand the human visual system, animals such as fish can tell us a great deal, since in many ways their visual systems, and specifically their eyes, are similar to our own. This is fortunate, since there are several techniques, such as intracellular retinal recording, which are vital to our understanding of the visual process, that cannot be performed routinely on primates. The cold blooded fish, on the other hand, is an ideal subject for such studies and much of what we know about, for example, the fundamentals of information processing in the retina is based on work carried out on fish (e. g. Svaetichin, 1953).

This book offers a comprehensive review of current systems for fish protection and downstream migration. It offers the first systematic description of the currently available technologies for fish protection at hydropower intakes, including accurate and timely data collected by the authors and other researchers. It describes how to design and test them in agreement with the guidelines established from the EU Water Framework Directive. The book includes important information about fish biology, with a special focus on swimming and migration mechanisms. It offers a robust bridge between concepts in applied ecology and civil hydraulic engineering, thus providing biologists and hydraulic engineers with an authoritative reference guide to both the theory and practice of fish protection. It is also of interest for planners, public authorities as well as environmental consultants

Provides a thorough introduction to the biology of fishes, covering basic diversity, biology and physiology. Detailed coverage of environmental aspects relating to fish biology is a key feature of this book which will be of great use to students and individuals in fish biology, fisheries, aquaculture and environmental sciences.

The threespine stickleback is a small fish of temperate coastal and fresh waters that exhibits extraordinary phenotypic diversity. Benefiting from its amenability to observation in the field and manipulation in the laboratory, Niko Tinbergen pioneered the threespine stickleback's use in behavioral studies and established it as a model system in ethology. This up-to-date volume incorporates reviews from active researchers who use studies of the fish to address a broad variety of evolutionary issues, including optimal foraging, armor variation, speciation, and the endocrine basis for correlated behavioral characters. The work demonstrates the value of viewing the biology of a single organism simultaneously from multiple perspectives. Students and researchers in ecology, evolution, animal behavior, and vertebrate zoology will find much of interest in this useful book.

Aquaculture exemplifies the ongoing global struggle to strike a sustainable balance between the conflicting needs of a rapidly increasing world population, human health, ecosystem health, the welfare of wild and domesticated animals, and the economic principles of globalized economies. On the one hand, aquaculture has great potential for providing us with a healthy and nutritious food supply whilst alleviating pressure on captive fisheries and reducing fisheries-induced habitat destruction, overfishing, genetic modification of wild populations, and wholesale waste of bycatch. On the other hand, aquaculture relies heavily on clean water, an increasingly precious (and dwindling) resource that is subject to intense pressure of being used for many competing objectives. This concise primer introduces students to the basic concepts, opportunities, and challenges of aquaculture with an emphasis on ecological considerations. It provides a critical assessment of current aquaculture practices from a broad, interdisciplinary perspective and from the standpoint of how best to align the two major (and often conflicting) goals of future aquaculture development: minimizing reliance on ecosystem services whilst maximizing productivity. A Primer of Ecological Aquaculture provides an accessible and authoritative overview for a wide range of undergraduate majors ranging from biology, engineering, and environmental policy to business and management. It will also appeal to a more general academic audience who wish to gain a current overview of the field.

The Okefenokee Swamp, located in southeastern Georgia and northern Florida, is the largest freshwater wetland in the United States. In this illustrated guide to the fishes of the swamp, Joshua Laerm and B. J. Freeman provide descriptions and drawings of thirty-six species, ranging from the American eel to the speckled madtom, chain pickerel, and blackbanded darter. For each fish, the authors include latinate, common, and variant names and discuss differences from similar species, local habitats as well as occurrences beyond the Okefenokee, and feeding and mating patterns. With each entry Laerm and Freeman also relate brief comments and tips borrowed from the folklore of the swamp and the experience of fishermen and cooks. The guide thus notes the variety of bait-from kernels of corn to rotten liver-that will hook a catfish; discusses which fishes are more easily taken by gigging; reveals the sport involved in catching the flavorful American eel; and identifies those fishes, such as the swamp darter, that are common as aquarium pets. Providing descriptions, drawings, and scientific and general information, Fishes of the Okefenokee Swamp is a complete handbook for the angler, naturalist, and scholar.

Fisheries supply a critically important ecosystem service by providing over three billion people with nearly 20% of their daily animal protein intake. Yet one third of the world's fish stocks are currently harvested at unsustainable levels. Calls for the adoption of more holistic approaches to management that incorporate broader ecosystem principles are now being translated into action worldwide to meet this challenge. The transition from concept to implementation is accompanied by the need to further establish and evaluate the analytical framework for Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management (EBFM). The objectives of this novel textbook are to provide an introduction to this topic for the next generation of scientists who will carry on this work, to illuminate the deep and often underappreciated connections between basic ecology and fishery science, and to explore the implications of these linkages in formulating management strategies for the 21st century. Fishery Ecosystem Dynamics will be of great use to graduate level students as well as academic researchers and professionals (both governmental and NGO) in the fields of fisheries ecology and management.