Looking for a fish book

[CiXeL]

Does anyone know of a book on saltwater fish that includes lots of information about the fish and the specific locations of where theyre from?

There are so many fish i see in the aquarium trade and it doesnt really specify the location they're from.

the same applies to softies. i mean where are colt corals from? where could i travel to and see colt corals or yellow tail blue damsels, etc?

 

[Anonymous]

This might be what you are looking for?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/189008 ... e&n=283155



It has a brief description of each fish, auqarium suitability, where it is from, ect. Most fish you would find at the LFS you will find in here.

 

[CiXeL]

got it already. my biggest objection to it is that there isnt enough or rather they focus on some rarer fishes than you find in a typical aquarium store. i would bring in that handbook and see all sorts of stuff that wasnt even listed in there so i just wound up not using it. also specifying what ocean they come from isnt as helpful to me as saying banggai cardinals are from the banggai islands near suluwesi. i find the internet to be vastly more helpful but you cannot bring that with you.

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I hear ya.

I think the problem though is that there are so many fishes out there that it would be impossible to have a manual with detailed info on all of them, without the darn thing being 500 pages long.

I do like the fact though that there is focus on some of the less common fish though, because those are the ones you are less likely to know about already, and it's cool when you find something rather unusual at the store to have a little bit of info handy! The "Marine Fishes" book has come through for me twice in that respect.

Myself, I usually find a fish at the store and like to take a day or two to think about it, so I come home and do a little more research, so the internet works well for that anyway.

 

[Anonymous]

You could pick up the latest Burgess Marine Atlas - it's a monster of a book and has photos and general information for thousands of species. Not really a lot of indepth info - more of a survey type book but some amazing stuff in it nonetheless.

Also there are currently 3 volumes of Scott Michael's excellent Reef Fishes series available. First one is Basses, Eeels, Lions and other predators, books two and three cover 10 + other families of fish. Well written and has practical care information for aquariums. Additionally the photography in all 3 volumes is gorgeous and Scott is a heck of a nice guy so buy his books!

 

[Len]

Scott Michael's books are the most informative. He still has at least one more volume left, but the three out provide tons of info.

 

[Anonymous]

You could pick up the latest Burgess Marine Atlas - it's a monster of a book and has photos and general information for thousands of species. Not really a lot of indepth info - more of a survey type book but some amazing stuff in it nonetheless.

Also there are currently 3 volumes of Scott Michael's excellent Reef Fishes series available. First one is Basses, Eeels, Lions and other predators, books two and three cover 10 + other families of fish. Well written and has practical care information for aquariums. Additionally the photography in all 3 volumes is gorgeous and Scott is a heck of a nice guy so buy his books!

All that is true. Great books.

I hesitate to lug those 3 big books around with me for a couple reasons though. One, they're big. Two, they're not finished yet! Good luck IDing a wrasse or goby in there.

Here's what I currently use. Fits in my back pocket. The nice thing is that it has virtually every fish you might encounter in the aquarium trade in there. The downside is that they're drawings.

 

[Anonymous]

Scott Michael's books are the most informative. He still has at least one more volume left, but the three out provide tons of info.

Two more IIRC, 5 volumes

 

[CiXeL]

@ Matt_Wandell

wow. that is a book i GOTTA HAVE

 

[Anonymous]

I love it. It has some really rare fish that you'd likely never or rarely see in a LFS. Ballina angel, Reunion angel, Tiger angel, Helfrich's firefish, Gem tang, etc.

 

[Anonymous]

Helfrich's firefish

Where you been, Matt? Helfrichs are EVERYWHERE in Cali!!!



Peace,

Chip

 

[Anonymous]

Helfrich's firefish

Where you been, Matt? Helfrichs are EVERYWHERE in Cali!!!



Peace,

Chip

Ever tell you I happened to meet Phil Helfrich's nephew? What a weird coincidence. :lol:

 

[Len]

Two more IIRC, 5 volumes

I wish they kept it to the originally planned three The last two volumes were kind of sparse and didn't contain popular species.

 

[Anonymous]

Scott isn't happy bout it either