Damselfishes & Anemonefishes (Reef Fishes) [Hardcover]

Scott W. Michael (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2008

Damselfishes & Anemonefishes is the much-anticipated fourth volume in Scott Michael's landmark Reef Fishes Series, highly acclaimed by serious marine aquarium hobbyists and professionals around the world.

Representing two decades of research, writing, and underwater photography, this long-awaited volume provides authoritative coverage of several dozen species, including their social behaviors, feeding habits, reproduction, and expert advice for keeping them alive and healthy in the home aquarium.

Many damsels, chromis, sergeants, demoiselles, and gregories in all their amazing colors and diversity, as well as the many species of anemonefishes (clownfishes) and their host anemones, are all covered in detail.

Damselfishes & Anemonefishes brilliantly profiles the sprawling family Pomacentridae, which contains many popular and beautiful fishes held in great esteem by aquarists of all skill levels and is sure to be an essential part of every marine reference shelf. It contains absolutely up-to-date, authoritative coverage of popular and rare species, with world-class photography--plus a treasure trove of more than 350 new identification photographs.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Scott W. Michael is a lifelong marine fishkeeper who has become one of the world's leading underwater reef photographers as well as a renowned coral fish researcher. A former aquarium store owner, he has personally kept many of the species he covers in his books and has also observed them in their native habitats. In addition to the four volumes of the Reef Fishes series, he is the author of the bestselling PocketExpert Guide: Marine Fishes and PocketExpert Guide: Reef Aquarium Fishes. He lives in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Tfh Pubns Inc; 1 edition (February 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890087971
• ISBN-13: 978-1890087975
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #816,163 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Beg to Differ, May 17, 2008

By 

Too Cold in Madison (Madison, WI, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Damselfishes & Anemonefishes (Reef Fishes) (Hardcover)

Yes, the paper is not quite as good as on the previous volumes. But given the skyrocketing price of paper, this is no surprise. It is still perfectly adequate and the images are top-notch. It is no surprise to me that this has expanded to multiple volumes given the economics of publishing such low-demand books.

Scott Michael's series ultimately will be the most comprehensive series on marine fishes for aquarists. They are a treasure trove of useful information. I only hope they can get the rest of the series published in a timely fashion without compromising the quality and quantity of information.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but I wish they would stop dragging them out, May 15, 2008

By 

T. Rickman (San Diego, ca United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Damselfishes & Anemonefishes (Reef Fishes) (Hardcover)

Still would buy it but I was disappointed in the fact that they keep dragging the series out. Originally it was suppose to be 4 books..........then it went to six....Now it is nine books according to the newest book. I would agree the quality is not as high as the first 3. Still the information is good. Still I will have NINE BOOKS in my Library instead of 4. Lastly who knows how much longer it will take to release the rest.

5.0 out of 5 stars Another wonderful addition to the series, March 25, 2009

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Alex B. Whitchurch (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Damselfishes & Anemonefishes (Reef Fishes) (Hardcover)

Anyone who's read the previous installments knows exactly what they're getting with this fourth entry in the series; a high quality, well researched and beautifully presented tome. Yes, the paper type has changed but is plainly of high quality, durable stock and I have zero complaints about it. Considering the prevalence of point light sources around reef aquariums, the change to matte paper is welcome.

For those unfamiliar with the series, this book isn't really a stand-alone fish book so much as an addition to Reef Fishes: A Guide to Their Identification, Behavior and Captive Care, Vol. 1. If you're well acquainted with keeping salt water fish this book alone will suit you just fine whereas the big fish keeping tips are housed in vol. 1. This is a good thing as it spares us all the redundant information at a savings that is passed on to the consumer.

A fantastic book on the tough, scrappy, yet humble, damsels. The only caveat I'd offer is that if your interests lie primarily with the anemonefish, Clownfishes is, in my opinion, the superior book. For a book about all things damsel, however, this is the best I've seen.