The percid fishes (or perch family) comprise many species including the perch, pikeperch, yellow perch, walleye and the darters. These species are of great ecological and economic importance, being important components of the freshwater ecosystem and recreational and commercial fisheries. Percid Fishes covers aspects such as systematics, morphology, biology, ecology, diseases and parasites and the economic importance of percid fisheries. Special emphasis is placed within the book on the complex relationship between this family of fishes and their environment and how they respond to perturbations, especially those induced by humans. The author, John Craig who has a great deal of experience working on these fishes in many of the countries in which they occur, has drawn together an extremely important book which provides a unique, comprehensive and indispensable review of this most significant group of fish.

This extensive work focuses on an important group of temperate freshwater fish, approaching the topic from the perspectives of both biology and aquaculture. It compiles the latest research on fish belonging to the Percidae family and describes in detail all biological aspects relevant to the culture of different species, including ecology, reproductive physiology, feeding and nutrition, genetics, immunology, stress physiology and behavior. It also considers commercial fish production and fish farming topics, such as protocols for induction of gonad maturation, spawning, incubation and larval rearing. Expert contributors not only provide a critical peer review of scientific literature but also original research data, and identify effective practical techniques. The book features chapters on systematics, ecology and evolution, on development, metabolism and husbandry of early life stages and on growth, metabolism, behavior and husbandry of juvenile and grow-out stages. Furthermore, the authors consider genetic improvement and domestication, as well as diseases and health management, crucial to the readers' understanding of these fish and how they can be cultured. Both researchers of percid fish biology and aquaculture professionals who are considering intensive and pond culture of percid fishes will value this timely and comprehensive handbook.)

Sequenced biological macromolecules have revitalized systematic studies of evolutionary history. Molecular Systematics of Fishes is the first authoritative overview of the theory and application of these sequencing data to fishes. This volume explores the phylogeny of fishes at multiple taxonomic levels, uses methods of analysis of molecular data that apply both within and between fish populations, and employs molecule-based phylogenies to address broader questions of evolution. Targeted readers include ichthyologists, marine scientists, and all students, faculty, and researchers interested in fish evolution and ecology and vertebrate systematics. - Focuses on the phylogeny and evolutionary biology of fishes - Contains phylogenies of fishes at multiple taxonomic levels - Applies molecule-based phylogenies to broader questions of evolution - Includes methods for critique of analysis of molecular data