World-class palaeontologists and biologists summarise the state-of-the-art on fish evolution and development.

Fish, or lower vertebrates, occupy the basal nodes of the vertebrate phylogeny, and are therefore crucial in interpreting almost every feature of more advanced vertebrates, including amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Recent research focuses on combining evolutionary observations - primarily from the fish fossil record - with developmental data from living fishes, in order to better interpret evolutionary history and vertebrate phylogeny. This book highlights the importance of this research in the interpretation of vertebrate evolution, bringing together world-class palaeontologists and biologists to summarise the most interesting, current and cutting-edge topics in fish evolution and development. It will be an invaluable tool for researchers in early vertebrate palaeontology and evolution, and those particularly interested in the interface between evolution and development.

Annual Fishes: Life History Strategy, Diversity, and Evolution is the first comprehensive reference on current knowledge of diverse species that exhibit unique survival strategies and provide important models for basic and applied research. This work fills a void, covering the life cycle, reproductive biology, evolutionary ecology, reproductive beh

An up-to-date compilation of the development of non-teleost fishes has so far been unavailable. These fishes include the jawless fishes (hagfish and lampreys), the cartilaginous fishes (sharks, rays, skates and chimaeras), the forerunners of the teleostei: the cladistia (bichirs and reedfish), the chondrostei (sturgeon and paddlefish, the neopterygii (gar pike and bowfin), and, finally, the closest relations to the tetrapods: the lungfishes (the coelacanh [living fossil], Protopterus of Africa, Lepidosiren of South America and Neoceratodus of Australia). Therefore, the present volume has been devoted to closing the gap by an up-to-date scientific review of the early life-history of these non-teleost fishes (agnathi excepted).

In the compiling of this book, the vast literature dealing with the descriptive morphology, histology and cytology of teleost development has been combed and integrated. The book is divided into 21 chapters, starting with the egg and embryonic development up to hatching. This is followed by a description of ectodermal, mesodermal and entodermal derivatives and the development of various organs. The subject index, species index and the abundant illustrations add extra value to this long awaited book. Developmental Biology of Teleost Fishes will be a valuable tool for scientists and students in the fields of biology, developmental biology, molecular biology and fish biology.

The zebrafish is the most important fish model in developmental andgenetic analyses. This book contains 19 review articles covering abroad spectrum of topics, from development to genetic tools. Thecontents range from early development, the role of maternal factorsand gastrulation, to tissue differentiation and organogenesis, such asdevelopment of the organizer, notochord, floor plate, nervous system, somites, muscle, skeleton and endoderm

This volume constitutes the most recent and most comprehensive consideration of the largest family of bony fishes, the Cichlidae. This book offers an integrated perspective of cichlid fishes ranging from conservation of threatened species to management of cichlids as invasive species themselves. Long-standing models of taxonomy and systematics are subjected to the most recent applications and interpretations of molecular evidence and multivariate analyses; and cichlid adaptive radiations at different scales are elucidated. The incredible diversity of endemic cichlid species in African lakes is revisited as possible examples of sympatric speciation and as serious cases for management in complex anthropogenic environments. Extreme hydrology and bathymetry as driver of micro-allopatric speciation is explored in the African riverine hotspot of diversity of the lower Congo River. Dramatic new molecular evidence draws attention to the complex taxonomy and systematics of Neotropical cichlids including the crater lakes of Central America. Molecular genetics, genomics, imaging tools and field study techniques assess the roles of natural, sexual and kin selection in shaping cichlid traits and beyond. The complex behavioral adaptations of cichlids are considered from a number of sub-disciplines including sensory biology, neurobiology, development, and evolutionary ecology. Most importantly, this volume puts forth a wealth of new interpretations, explanatory hypotheses and proposals for practical management and applications that will shape the future for these remarkable fishes in nature as well as their use as models for the study of biology.