Fishes

Gene Helfman is professor emeritus in the Program in Conservation Ecology and Sustainability Development at the University of Georgia's Odum School of Ecology. A senior scientist at the National Marine Fisheries Service Systematics Laboratory, Bruce Collette has taught about the diversity of fishes at the Bermuda Biological Station and the Shoals Marine Laboratory in Maine. Helfman and Collette are two of the authors of The Diversity of Fishes, the leading textbook on the subject.

"This book is fun, accessible, and informative. In the 30 years that I have been teaching ichthyology and fish ecology, I have been asked almost all of these questions. Here are all the answers in one comfortable package." (Dr. Larry G. Allen, director, Southern California Marine Institute)"

• AcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Introducing FishesWhat are fishes?What is the plural of fish?How many kinds of fishes are there?Why are fishes important?What is the most important fish in America?Why should people care about fishes?Where do fishes live?What is the current classification of fishes?Why do we need a system of classification?What is a species?How are species arranged in a classification?What characterizes the major groups of bony fishes?When did fishes first evolve?What is the oldest fossil fish?2. Form and Function of FishesWhat are the largest and smallest living fishes?What is the shortest-lived fish?What is the longest-lived fish?Do all fishes have bones?Do all fishes have fins?Do all fishes have teeth?Do all fishes have scales?What is the metabolism of a fish?How do fishes breathe under water?How long can a fish live out of water?Can fishes breathe air?What is a gas bladder?What are lungfishes?Why do some fishes live in salt water and others in fresh water?Do fishes sleep?Can fishes see color?Can any fishes fly?What are electric fishes?Can any fishes produce light?3. Fish ColorsWhy are so many fishes silver?What causes the different colors of fishes?Is there a reason for the color patterns of fishes?What color are a fish's eyes?Do fishes change colors as they grow?Do a fish's colors change in different seasons?Is there much geographic variation in the color of a fish species?4. Fish BehaviorAre fishes social?Why do fishes form schools?Do fishes fight?Do fishes bite people?How smart are fishes?Do fishes play?Do fishes talk?How do fishes avoid predators?5. Fish EcologyDo fishes migrate?How many fish species live in rivers versus lakes?How many fish species live in the ocean?How far down in the ocean do fishes live?Which geographic regions have the most species of fishes?Are there fishes in the desert?Do fishes live in caves?How do fishes survive the winter?Do fishes get sick?How can you tell if a fish is sick?Are fishes good for the environment?6. Reproduction and Development of FishesHow do fishes reproduce?Do all fishes lay eggs?Why do some fishes lay so many eggs but other fishes lay only a few?How long do female fishes hold eggs in their body?Where do fishes lay their eggs?Do fishes lay their eggs at the same time and in the same place every year?Do fishes breed only one time per year or once in their lives?What is a baby fish called?Are all the eggs in the nest full siblings?How is the sex of a fish determined?Do fishes care for their young?How fast do fishes grow?How can you tell the age of a fish?7. Fish Foods and FeedingWhat do fishes eat?Do fishes chew their food?How do fishes find food?Are any fishes scavengers?How do fishes eat hard-shelled animals?Do fishes store their food?Do fishes use tools to obtain food?8. Fishes and HumansDo fishes make good pets?What is the best way to take care of a pet fish?Do fishes feel pain?What should I do if I find an injured fish or a fish that looks diseased?How can I see fishes in the wild?Should people feed fishes?9. Fish Problems (from a human viewpoint)Are some fishes pests?Can there be too many fishes in a lake or river?Do fishes kill ducks in ponds and other bodies of water?Are fishes dangerous to people or pets?Do fishes have diseases and are they contagious?Is it safe to eat fish?What should I do if I get injured by a fish?10. Human Problems (from a fish's viewpoint)Are any fishes endangered?Will fishes be affected by global warming?Are fishes affected by pollution?Why do people hunt and eat fish?Is there such a thing as fish leather?Why do so many fishes die at once?Are boats dangerous for fishes?How are fishes affected by litter?What can an ordinary citizen do to help fishes?11. Fishes in Stories and LiteratureWhat roles do fishes play in religion and mythology?What roles do fishes play in Western religions?Did early philosophers and naturalists mention fishes in their writings?Are fishes in fairy tales?What is gyotaku?What roles do fishes play in various cultures?What roles do fishes play in popular culture?What roles have fishes played in poetry and otherliterature?Do fishes have culture?12. "Fishology"Who studies fishes?Which species of fishes are best known?Which species of fishes are least well known?How do scientists tell fishes apart?How do you become an ichthyologist?Appendix A: The Classification of FishesAppendix B: Some Organizations That Promote Ichthyology and the Conservation of FishesBibliographyIndex