The Cichlid Fishes: Nature's Grand Experiment In Evolution [Hardcover]

George Barlow (Author), George W. Barlow (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 25, 2000

Cichlid fishes are amazing creatures. In terms of sheer number of species, they are the most successful of all families of vertebrate animals, and the extent and speed with which they have evolved in some African lakes has made them the darlings of evolutionary biologists. But what truly captivates biologists like George Barlow--not to mention thousands of aquarists the world over--is the complexity of their social lives and their devotion to family (most species of cichlids are monogamous and many pairs share the responsibility of raising offspring). In this wonderful book, Barlow describes the unusually high intelligence of these fishes, their complex mating and parenting rituals, their bizarre feeding and fighting habits, and the unusual adaptations and explosive rate of speciation that have enabled them to proliferate and flourish. A celebration of their diversity, The Cichlid Fishes is also a marvelous exploration of how these unique animals might help resolve the age-old puzzle of how species arise and evolve.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Confined almost without exception to the southern hemisphere, cichlids are perchlike lake- and river-dwelling fish that have long been an important source of food for humans--and that, in places such as Lake Tanganyika, are so overfished that they are in danger of disappearing. Outside the southern hemisphere, the cichlids, which number unknown thousands of species, are known mostly to tropical-fish enthusiasts through a colorful representative, the freshwater angelfish, though tilapia are increasingly farmed as a food source in Asia and North America. Those tilapia can grow to huge size, writes authority George Barlow, as can other cichlids. "Even an angelfish," he notes, "is apt to grow too large for the home aquarium and to devour tidbits like guppies and neon tetras, to the dismay of the aquarist."

In this engaging and often humorous survey of the cichlids, Barlow addresses aspects of the fishes' natural history and behavior, among them their well-known and often advantageous aggressiveness (one species is named for legendary boxer Jack Dempsey), peculiar mating habits, and unusual evolutionary adaptations (among them nearly prehensile internal jaws and the use of vocalizations in displays of hostility and courtship). Barlow also discusses larger issues of speciation, gene flow, and conservation. Detailed yet accessible to general readers, Barlow's book summarizes the work of a distinguished career. --Gregory McNamee

From Publishers Weekly

With more than 1,000 species and countless more subspecies native to the freshwaters of Africa, Asia and South America, the family of Cichlid fish are perhaps evolution's greatest success story. Diverse in color, size and behavior, these fish are of equal interest to fishermen, ethologists and home aquarium enthusiasts. Barlow, Professor Emeritus of Integrative Biology at the University of California at Berkeley, presents a multifaceted study of these unusual creatures. Like some higher mammals and birds, many Cichlid species are monogamous. In some species the size, color and health of the male attract the female; in others, the nesting site's design lures mates. Often, males as well as females participate in nurturing and raising the young, using their mouths as havens for incubating eggs and to protect their fry from predators. Cichlids provide a seemingly unending source of information for ichthyologists, behaviorists and geneticists in their quest to understand speciation and animal intelligence. They are also valuable to aquaculturists, who can breed certain species as a protein source for human consumption. In this diligent and enthusiastic book, Barlow opens an underwater realm that will fascinate scientists and lay readers alike. Illus. (Dec. 18)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 333 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (October 25, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738203769
• ISBN-13: 978-0738203768
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,989,952 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent treatment of cichlid behavior, December 7, 2003

By 

Currahee (South Mississippi) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Cichlid Fishes: Nature's Grand Experiment In Evolution (Paperback)

The Cichlid fishes are one of the most diverse groups of animals in the world, this is partially an artifact of their distribution in rift lakes. This isolation in a diverse environment has led them to evolve to fill a myriad of ecological niches. They are also one of the most popular groups of aquarium fishes and their behavior and diversity is of interest to a large number of people. That is why this book, a scientific treatment of their behavior can be produced for a larger audience. As such this is perhaps the best book, available to the lay reader, on fish behavior.

George Barlow is (was) a fish behaviorist at UC Berkeley. In this volume he explains the complex behaviors of mate selection, territoriality, feeding, and the rearing of offspring in this well studied group. He also discusses their diversity and, sadly, has to address their conservation (as the their home is being lost to several environmental factors). This book is interesting and well written. However, it is probably only of interest to the most serious cichlid hobbyist, or persons with a special interest in fish behavior in general.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent addition the natural history collection!, February 8, 2003

By 

Kirby Adams (Lansing, MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cichlid Fishes: Nature's Grand Experiment In Evolution (Hardcover)

The first thing that needs to be said about this book is that it is NOT a book about keeping cichlids in aquariums. I think that is a misconception some people may get since cichlids are such popular aquarium subjects. If you're looking for information on cichlids in the aquarium, you need to hunt down books by Paul Loiselle or Ad Konings. This is a book about evolutionary science.

The cichlids are really the animal darlings of the evolution field in the same sense that the Galapagos Islands are the geographical Mecca. This book focuses on cichlids from the African Great Lakes: Malawi., Victoria, and Tanganyika. The populations in these lakes have been isolated and thus present a wonderful living experiment in evolution and speciation. The New World members of Cichlidae aren't forgotten - there's plenty of examples from them too.

The text doesn't delve too deeply into scientific theory. It's still a relatively easy read for the layperson. Its aim is to explain why the cichlids fascinate biologists and evolutionists - without getting overly technical. It achieves that goal admirably.

The bibliography is worth the cover price. There are 23 pages of small-print references and a numerical guide to citations by chapter.

If you're an aquarist with an interest in the science behind the fish, a scientist with little experience with fish or evolution, or a "normal" person wondering what all the fuss is about, this is a good choice.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Cichlid Fishes, December 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Cichlid Fishes: Nature's Grand Experiment In Evolution (Hardcover)

As a "liberal arts type", I seldom read books on science - but once started on this one, I could hardly bring myself to put it down. It is a joy from beginning to end. Barlow's knowledge of cichlids is vast and he shares it with us in a clear and readable way. You'll be fascinated as you learn about these little creatures who can change their sex overnight, who feed with an amazingly complex arrangement of jaws and teeth, and whose parenting skills should be the envy of us humans. The writing style is warm and personal and reveals the author's wonderful sense of humor and lifelong enthusiasm for his subject.