Among the fishes, a remarkably wide range of biological adaptations to diverse habitats has evolved. As well 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 to the survival of the human species in the form of nutritious, delicious and diverse food. Rational exploitation and management of our global stocks of fishes must rely upon a detailed and precise insight of their biology. The Chapman & 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.

Among the fishes, a remarkably wide range of biological adaptations to diverse habitats has evolved. As well 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 to the survival of the human species in the form of nutritious, delicious and diverse food. Rational exploitation and management of our global stocks of fishes must rely upon a detailed and precise insight of their biology. The Chapman & 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.

This is a reprint of the classic first published in 1957. One of the authors, Raymond Beverton, recently died. His co-author, Sidney Holt, has written a new Foreword to this printing in which he reviews events in fisheries research and management through the past 50 years as these relate to their joint work. On the Dynamics of Exploited Fish Populations has become the most widely cited fisheries book ever published and the fact that the bulk of the information contained within its covers is still valid has led to this reprinting. Beverton and Holt's great work created a solid foundation for one of the two major global visions of the science of fisheries. This book was the genesis of the modern age-structured approach to the optimal management of fishery resources. Their approach led directly to a formulation of the fishery catch equation with almost universal applicability. Its advantage was that it produced easily interpreted outputs that could be clearly and directly applied to any fishery. Ultimately, this approach was the forerunner to VPA and allied techniques, the core of modern catch forecasting used in setting quotas and in managing commercial fisheries worldwide. Although the perception of the objectives of fisheries research has changed since the 1950s, and computers now enable calculations, data analysis, and theoretical exploration far beyond their capability at the time, Beverton and Holt will continue to be a source of inspiration and insight for many years to come. Sidney J. Holt was educated at Reading University, England. He has held academic positions at St John's College, Cambridge, England; University of California at Santa Cruz; University of Rhode Island; University of Malta. He is the author of 400 scientific papers, book chapters and popular articles, especially in the fields of fisheries science and management, conservation, protection of marine mammals, especially whales. He served 25 years in the United Nations system of Specialised Agencies (including the FAO in Rome, UNESCO as Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and Director of Division of Marine Science; Marine Mammals; Advisor to the United Nations Environment Programme; UN Adviser on Mediterranean Marine Affairs, in which capacity he founded and served as first Director of, the International Ocean Institute, in Malta). Since his formal retirement Dr Holt has served on the delegations of Italy and of the Republic of Seychelles to the International Whaling Commission, and also as adviser to the delegations of France and Chile. Dr Holt has worked extensively with several Non-Governmental Organisations concerned with marine conservation. Apart from continuing to write and campaign Dr Holt advises the Third Millennium Foundation, and serves as Executive Director of the International League for the Protection of Cetaceans, which he founded 18 years ago.