Hagfishes and lampreys, both examples of jawless fishes, are elongated, eel-like animals lacking paired fins, and are the only living representatives of ancient creatures that gave rise to current species of fish and, eventually, humans. This volume provides an overview of the current status of knowledge on a variety of topics related to jawless fishes, including their taxonomy, zoogeography, phylogeny, molecular biology, evolution, life history, role in the ecosystem, and fisheries and management of hagfishes and lampreys worldwide. This is the first book dealing exclusively with the various aspects of jawless fish species throughout the world. It brings together a number of papers providing new data on jawless fishes, and offers readers a range of useful information within a single reference, reflecting the growing appreciation for hagfishes and lampreys worldwide.

"Of all the literature I use while preparing field guides for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Nelson's Fishes of the World is, by far, the one I refer to most often. [This] book is a standard reference . . . I continue to use it extensively in the ichthyology courses I teach, particularly in laboratory sessions." -Kent E. Carpenter Old Dominion University "Fishes of the World is a unique and essential resource for anyone seriously interested in the diversity and evolution of fishes. The family accounts provide quick summaries of current knowledge on all groups of living fishes and many key fossil taxa. It is a required work for every student in my laboratory." -William E. Bemis Kingsbury Director of Shoals Marine Laboratory, Cornell University "Only classics are known by the single name of their author, and certainly [Nelson's book] has for four editions been such a book for all those who seek an accessible, up-to-date, readable reference on fish classification. Once again, Nelson presents a balanced view of the sometimes tumultuous, but ever-exciting, study of the phylogenetic relationships and classification of fishes. In doing so, Nelson makes an excellent case for organismal biology, highlighting the many and varied morphological characters we use to diagnose fish taxa and differentiate among the 515 families of living species." -Lynne R. Parenti Curator of Fishes and Research Scientist, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution Fishes of the World, Fourth Edition is the updated edition of a true classic in the field. A unique presentation of a modern, cladistically based classification of all the major living and fossil fish groups, this indispensable reference helps scientists and others identify and classify specimens, make familial connections, understand the evolution of fishes, and springboard into further research. The taxonomy of fishes presented includes the anatomical characteristics, distribution, common and scientific names, and phylogenetic relationships for all 515 families of living fishes. Packed with representative species drawings and information on phylogentic relationships, this informative Fourth Edition features: * Both fossil and extant species * More than 500 illustrations * Fully vetted scientific and common names * An extensive bibliography

Hagfishes and lampreys, both examples of jawless fishes, are elongated, eel-like animals lacking paired fins, and are the only living representatives of ancient creatures that gave rise to current species of fish and, eventually, humans. This volume provides an overview of the current status of knowledge on a variety of topics related to jawless fishes, including their taxonomy, zoogeography, phylogeny, molecular biology, evolution, life history, role in the ecosystem, and fisheries and management of hagfishes and lampreys worldwide. This is the first book dealing exclusively with the various aspects of jawless fish species throughout the world. It brings together a number of papers providing new data on jawless fishes, and offers readers a range of useful information within a single reference, reflecting the growing appreciation for hagfishes and lampreys worldwide.

Take your knowledge of fishes to the next level Fishes of the World, Fifth Edition is the only modern, phylogenetically based classification of the world’s fishes. The updated text offers new phylogenetic diagrams that clarify the relationships among fish groups, as well as cutting-edge global knowledge that brings this classic reference up to date. With this resource, you can classify orders, families, and genera of fishes, understand the connections among fish groups, organize fishes in their evolutionary context, and imagine new areas of research. To further assist your work, this text provides representative drawings, many of them new, for most families of fishes, allowing you to make visual connections to the information as you read. It also contains many references to the classical as well as the most up-to-date literature on fish relationships, based on both morphology and molecular biology. The study of fishes is one that certainly requires dedication—and access to reliable, accurate information. With more than 30,000 known species of sharks, rays, and bony fishes, both lobe-finned and ray-finned, you will need to master your area of study with the assistance of the best reference materials available. This text will help you bring your knowledge of fishes to the next level. Explore the anatomical characteristics, distribution, common and scientific names, and phylogenetic relationships of fishes Access biological and anatomical information on more than 515 families of living fishes Better appreciate the complexities and controversies behind the modern view of fish relationships Refer to an extensive bibliography, which points you in the direction of additional, valuable, and up-to-date information, much of it published within the last few years Fishes of the World, Fifth Edition is an invaluable resource for professional ichthyologists, aquatic ecologists, marine biologists, fish breeders, aquaculturists, and conservationists.

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

With more than 29,000 species, fishes are the most diverse group of vertebrates on the planet. Of that number, more than 12,000 species are found in freshwater ecosystems, which occupy less than 1 percent of the Earth’s surface and contain only 2.4 percent of plant and animal species. But, on a hectare-for-hectare basis, freshwater ecosystems are richer in species than more extensive terrestrial and marine habitats. Examination of the distribution patterns of fishes in these fresh waters reveals much about continental movements and climate changes and has long been critical to biogeographical studies and research in ecology and evolution. Tim Berra’s seminal resource, Freshwater Fish Distribution,maps the 169 fish families that swim in fresh water around the world. Each family account includes the class, subclass, and order; a pronunciation guide to the family name; life cycle information; and interesting natural history facts. Each account is illustrated, many with historical nineteenth-century woodcuts. Now available in paperback, this heavily cited work in ichthyology and biogeography will serve as a reference for students, a research support for professors, and a helpful guide to tropical fish hobbyists and anglers.

Armored fishes and monster sharks, fishes with arms and fishes that breathe air--these and many other strange creatures are part of the remarkable story told in this book. In The Rise of Fishes, John Long traces the evolutionary history of fishes over the course of 500 million years, describes the discovery of extraordinary fossil remains, and explains the techniques used in their interpretation. Featuring more than 300 color illustrations, the book includes photographs of fossils from around the world as well as the author's dramatic color illustrations of what the fish may have actually looked like. Long tells the story of how these creatures lived and developed and why their rise from the waters of the archaic seas and rivers onto land was so momentous an event in the evolution of life on earth. He combines current scientific information with entertaining stories about his own field work in Australia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Antarctica. Detailed, accessible, and lavishly illustrated, The Rise of Fishes is a book for anyone with an interest in evolution, fossils, or fish.