The second volume in the Fauna Malesiana book series gives an extensive overview of the larval development of 124 families of fishes, many of them of importance for both fishery and from ecological perspectives. The families that are described originate from the center of global marine biodiversity: the tropical Indo-Pacific Oceans, a region rich in coral reefs, as well as mangrove, estuarine, and coastal shelf habitats. The identification guide not only documents the ontogeny of these fishes but also provides the means to identify these extraordinarily diverse larvae to the level of family. The book offers a wealth of instructive and detailed figures and illustrations (219 plates, each consisting of approximately 4 figures) for enabling the identification of these families and their larval specialization.

This guide presents the egg and larval descriptions of 100 species of fishes belonging to 55 families, which are most likely to be present in plankton samples collected in the continental shelf and oceanic waters of the Western Mediterranean Sea. The guide is structured in two parts. The first introductory part describes the different applications of ichthyoplankton studies in fisheries research, the main sampling strategies, methods and gears, the early life history of fishes and how to identify them. A brief historical account of ichthyoplankton identification studies in the Mediterranean Sea is also provided. The second part of the guide contains the identification sheets of the species. Each species sheet includes the following information: illustration of the adult fish and information on its habitat and spawning season; description of the main features useful towards identifying the egg, yolk sac and larval stage of each fish species; illustrations and (when available) photos of the different life stages.

This guide presents the egg and larval descriptions of 150 species of fishes belonging to 57 families, which are most likely to be present in plankton samples collected in the continental shelf and oceanic waters off northwest Africa. The guide is structured in two parts. The first introductory part describes the different applications of ichthyoplankton studies in fisheries research and management, and fish population ecology, the main sampling strategies, methods and gears, and the problems related to sample representativeness. It also describes the early life history of fishes, and how to identify them. A brief description of the hydrography of the study area is also presented. The second part of the guide features the species identification sheets. Each species sheet includes the following information: an illustration of the adult fish and information on its distribution, habitat, spawning season, and meristic characters; a description of the main features useful towards identifying the egg, yolk-sac and larval stages; and illustrations and photos of different larval stages. Finally, the guide provides a comprehensive list of references.

THE LARVAL LIFE AND HISTORY OF MARINE FISHES.

It is now clear that data based on the studies of fish eggs and larvae make a number of unique contributions to fishery science that are crucial for accurate assessment and management of fish populations, including those of commercially important fisheries. This valuable book demonstrates why fish eggs and larvae are important, how the characteristics of early life stages require a somewhat different research approach and how information on early life stages can be applied and interpreted to yield unique insights into fish populations. The editors of Fishery Science have drawn together an extremely useful and well-written book with contributions from internationally respected researchers from North America, Asia and Europe. Chapters include a discussion of the unique nature of early life stages, age and growth, mortality, recruitment, populations analysis, habitats, human impacts and management. A carefully selected set of case studies demonstrates several specific applications of early life history information to a number of fishery problems. Fishery Science was designed to complement existing textbooks and is an essential purchase for all fisheries students and professionals, and for biologists working on the early life stages of fish. This exciting book is also of great value to ecologists, marine, freshwater and environmental scientists, populations biologists and oceanographers. All libraries in universities and research establishments where biological and fishery science are studied and taught should have copies of this book available on their shelves.