This textbook on Ornamental Livebearers is a comprehensive guide and deals with the culture and breeding of livebearers. The present status of ornamental fish farming and new technologies on the breeding and culture of livebearers have also been aptly dealt with. A wide range of aspects such as, anatomy of livebearers, important livebearers and their breeding, feed and feeding management, water quality management, disease management biosecurity and economics of livebearers fish farm have been described in detail. It is hoped that this publication presented in an easy-to-read style with a number of photographs and illustrations will be of great use to all students who have fisheries in their curriculum and also a standard guide for the researchers, entrepreneurs and ornamental fish farmers. Note: Taylor and Francis does not sell or distribute the print editions of this title in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Livebearers focuses on four families of fish which contain many of the most attractive and popular species in the tropical fish hobby today, including guppies, mollies, swordtails, and platies. The families include Goodeidae (Mexican livebearers), Anablepidae (four-eyes and others), Poeciliidae (guppies and others); and Hemirhamphidae (halfbeaks). Author David Alderton explains that hobbyists have applied the term livebearer to these four families for convenience even though there are fourteen families in the wild that reproduce by bearing live young. The chapter “Where in the World?” focuses on the natural history of these families, their distribution, and lifestyles. Hobbyists looking to begin an aquarium of livebearers or to expand their existing communities will find useful information in the chapter called “The Different Groups,” in which Alderton discusses age considerations, health matters, and sex. The chapter also describes the four families and the most common genus/species of each. Included are sixteen representatives of the Family Goodeidae (e.g., Allodontichth, Characodon, and Skiffia), three genus of the Family Anablepidae (Anableps, Jenynsia, and Oxyzgonectes), twenty-six representatives of the Family Poeciliidae (e.g., Belonesox, Fiexipenis, and Limia); and three genus of the Family Hemirhamphidae (Dermogenys, Hemirhamphodon, and Namorhamphus). This colorful, user-friendly guide offers basic information on the anatomical characteristics, housing options, required aquarium equipment for livebearers as well as their feeding habits and food requirements (greenstuff, carotene-rich foods, live foods, meat, etc.). The breeding habits of livebearers have ensured their popularity with hobbyists, and the chapter on reproduction describes the various breeding habits of livebearers and outlines successful breeding strategies for interested hobbyists. In the chapter on health care, the author offers solid advice about caring for livebearers to maximize their lifespan in captivity, which is typically only a few years. He also gives information on signs of illness and some basic diseases that can be treated by the fish keeper. The final chapter offers photographs and distribution maps for sixteen popular livebearers of all four families, including information on size, physical description, natural habitat and behavior, and required aquarium conditions. The author’s livebearer hit parade includes the butterfly goodeid, rainbow goodeid, black-finned goodea, four-eyed fish, guppy (millions fish), black molly, sailfin molly, swordtail, platy (moonfish), mosquito fish (dwarf and large), humpbacked (black-barred) limia, black-bellied limia, pike livebearer (piketop minnow), knife (Alfaro’s) livebearer, and wrestling halfbeak. Resources, glossary, and index included.

This book deals with recent and upcoming technologies of breeding freshwater ornamental fish. It covers in detail areas such as status, breeding techniques, food and health management and marketing of freshwater ornamental fishes. There is a separate chapter on breeding of indigenous freshwater ornamental fishes. Emphasis is given on national and international legislation related to ornamental fish export and import. The book contains a useful chapter on the importance and role of ornamental plants and accessories. Aquarium making, decoration, water quality management and maintenance have also been well explained for hobbyists. This title has been co-published with NIPA. Not for sale in South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Bhutan)

Fundamentals of Ornamental Fish Health is a complete guide to managing the health and well-being of ornamental aquatic animals. Grounded in the foundations of fish medical care, the book summarizes nonlethal aquatic diagnostics and medicine, putting the information within a clinical context. Providing a comprehensive overview of the subject, Fundamentals of Ornamental Fish Health equips aquatic animal health professionals with all the information needed to competently and effectively treat these patients, from transporting and examining fish to diagnostic techniques and the identification and treatment of specific diseases and syndromes.