Fish Physiology: Physiology of Elasmobranch Fishes, Volume 34A is a useful reference for fish physiologists, biologists, ecologists, and conservation biologists. Following an increase in research on elasmobranchs due to the plight of sharks in today’s oceans, this volume compares elasmobranchs to other groups of fish, highlights areas of interest for future research, and offers perspective on future problems. Covering measurements and lab-and-field based studies of large pelagic sharks, this volume is a natural addition to the renowned Fish Physiology series. Provides needed comprehensive content on the physiology of elasmobranchs Offers a systems approach between structure and interaction with the environment and internal physiology Contains contributions by leading experts in their respective fields, under the guidance of internationally recognized and highly respected editors Highlights areas of interest for future research, including perspective on future problems

Fish Physiology: Physiology of Elasmobranch Fishes, Volume 34B is a useful reference for fish physiologists, biologists, ecologists, and conservation biologists. Following an increase in research on elasmobranchs due to the plight of sharks in today’s oceans, this volume compares elasmobranchs to other groups of fish, highlights areas of interest for future research, and offers perspective on future problems. Covering measurements and lab-and-field based studies of large pelagic sharks, this volume is a natural addition to the renowned Fish Physiology series. Provides needed comprehensive content on the physiology of elasmobranchs Offers a systems approach between structure and interaction with the environment and internal physiology Contains contributions by leading experts in their respective fields, under the guidance of internationally recognized and highly respected editors Highlights areas of interest for future research, including perspective on future problems

There can be little doubt that, to use the parlance of the advertising world, the elasmobranch fishes have a "high profile image" in today's world. To most mem bers of the general public they are seen as terrors of the deep, perfect aquatic predators, and the stars (or more acurately, the villains) of major Hollywood movie films and innumerable television nature programmes. Such an image belies the fact that the vast majority of elasmobranch species feed on invertebrates and that, for man, the threat from shark attack is infinitesimal compared with even being struck by lightning! Similarly, there can be few biologists who have not carried out the classic vertebrate dissection of the dogfish at some stage early in the formative years of their scientific education. Yet elasmobranch species make up only a small proportion, perhaps little more than I %, of all vertebrates, and there are probably nearly 50 times as many teleost species as there are elasmobranchs. It is also curious that, as subjects for modern research, elasmobranchs seem to be chosen sometimes for their unique physiological characteristics and at other times because they represent excellent model systems for the study of some general process. Equally, it is for both these, seemingly contradictory, reasons that this book was proposed.

There can be little doubt that, to use the parlance of the advertising world, the elasmobranch fishes have a "high profile image" in today's world. To most mem bers of the general public they are seen as terrors of the deep, perfect aquatic predators, and the stars (or more acurately, the villains) of major Hollywood movie films and innumerable television nature programmes. Such an image belies the fact that the vast majority of elasmobranch species feed on invertebrates and that, for man, the threat from shark attack is infinitesimal compared with even being struck by lightning! Similarly, there can be few biologists who have not carried out the classic vertebrate dissection of the dogfish at some stage early in the formative years of their scientific education. Yet elasmobranch species make up only a small proportion, perhaps little more than I %, of all vertebrates, and there are probably nearly 50 times as many teleost species as there are elasmobranchs. It is also curious that, as subjects for modern research, elasmobranchs seem to be chosen sometimes for their unique physiological characteristics and at other times because they represent excellent model systems for the study of some general process. Equally, it is for both these, seemingly contradictory, reasons that this book was proposed.

Essential Fish Biology provides an introductory overview of the functional biology of fish and how this may be affected by the widely contrasting habitat conditions within the aquatic environment. It describes the recent advances in comparative animal physiology which have greatly influenced our understanding of fish function as well as generating questions that have yet to be resolved. Fish taxa represent the largest number of vertebrates, with over 25,000 extant species. However, much of our knowledge, apart from taxonomy and habitat descriptions, has been based on relatively few of them , usually those which live in fresh water and/or are of commercial interest. Unfortunately there has also been a tendency to base our interpretation of fish physiology on that of mammalian systems, as well as to rely on a few type species of fish. This accessible textbook will redress the balance by using examples of fish from a wide range of species and habitats, emphasizing diversity as well as recognizing shared attributes with other vertebrates.

The book is a multi-authored book of 18 chapters comprising the state of the art work of all relevant topics on modern fish histology from 28 authors from ten countries. The topics include Introduction to Histological Techniques, Integument, Fish Skeletal Tissues, Muscular System, Structure and Function of Electric Organs, Digestive System, Glands of the Digestive Tract, Swim Bladder, Kidney, Ovaries and Eggs, Egg Envelopes, Testis Structure, Spermatogenesis, and Spermatozoa in Teleost Fishes, Cardiovascular System and Blood, Immune System of Fish, Gills: Respiration and Ionic-Osmoregulation, Sensory Organs, Morphology and Ecomorphology of the Fish Brain, and Endocrine System. Structural and functional aspects are treated and in a comparative way fish diversity at various taxonomic levels is integrated.