A PocketExpert Guide to Marine Fishes: 500+ Essential-To-Know Aquarium Species (Paperback)

by Scott W. Michael (Author) "AS BEDAZZLING AS ANY ENVIRONMENT ON EARTH, the coral reef is home to some 7,000 species of fishes and countless invertebrate life forms..." (more)
Key Phrases: aquarium suitability, including marine fish, frozen preparations for herbivores, Minimum Aquarium Size, Reef Aquarium Compatibility, Western Pacific (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Absolutely indispensible. Don't buy a fish without it. -- Dennis Reynolds, Aqua Marines

Product Description
---Comprehensive: 500+ species photographs, covering all popular and commonly available aquarium species ---Authoritative: expert advice on feeding and captive care ---Informative: aquarium suitability ratings for every species ---Easy to use: complete species name and common name indexes

Product Details

• Paperback: 447 pages
• Publisher: TFH Publications (November 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890087386
• ISBN-13: 978-1890087388
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #99,777 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #32 in	Books > Outdoors & Nature > Fauna > Fish & Sharks
  #33 in	Books > Home & Garden > Animal Care & Pets > Fish & Aquariums
  #46 in	Books > Science > Biological Sciences > Biology > Marine Biology

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Value for your aquarium dollar, April 1, 2000

By	Schelly Numrych (California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Interested in setting up a Fish Only Marine aquarium? Concerned about fish that will be compatible with the invertebrates in your Reef aquarium? Want to expand your knowledge beyond the 10 basic marine fish that your local aquarium store has in stock? Then this is a good book to consider. Loaded with full color pictures (on glossy paper)of marine fish, the book gives a concise summary of hundreds of these salt water inhabitants. The book itself is easier to handle than the smaller dimension Baensch Atlas and the print is larger. And the price is good value for your aquarium dollar. Bring this book with you to the aquarium store, and when you see that incredibly beautiful marine fish that you have never seen before, a quick read in this book will give you some of the information you will need to make an informed decision as to whether this fish will fare well in your aquarium at home.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Biggest Bang For Your Buck Out There In Aquarium Books, June 1, 2005

By	Jacob Hantla "hantla.com" (Chandler, AZ United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The two "500+ Essential-to-Know Aquarium Species Books" are the biggest bang-for-your-buck aquarium stocking and general information books out there. Even though both of the books, Marine Fishes (ISBN: 1890087386 by Scott W. Michael) & Marine Invertebrates (ISBN: 1890087661 by Ronald Shimek) are pocket guides, they offer so much more information than the other books that I have seen. They don't waste space telling you about fish that you will never see in an aquarium and instead give relatively in-depth information on the species that you are likely to encounter. Neither do they present the information in hard-to-decode picture format; they use sentences: A very underused communicated technique in most aquarium handbooks out there. Not only is the selection of species perfect but the provided information on care is perfect as well. The Marine Fishes version provides the following well-presented information on each fish:

* A color picture
* Scientific name (genus & species)
* Common name
* Maximum size
* Minimum suggested aquarium size
* Aquarium suitability index
* Reef aquarium compatibility
* Captive care tips and information

Likewise, in an equally well-presented manner, A PocketExpert Guide to Marine Invertebrates: 500+ Essential-to-Know Aquarium Species presents the following information on each specimen discussed:
500+ Marine Invertebrates by Robert Shimek

* A color picture
* Scientific name (genus & species)
* Common name
* Maximum size
* Naturally-occurring range
* Lighting requirements
* Foods & feeding
* Aquarium suitability/Reef aquarium compatibility
* Captive care tips and information

Don't take my word for it, just try it with a few species that you already have in your tank or that you are considering buying by using Amazon.com's "Search inside the book feature." I recommend you buy these on Amazon.com; you get free shipping (with a $25 order) and don't have to pay sales tax.

http://www.hantla.com/blog/pivot/entry.php?id=17

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Keep in mind it is a pocket guide., December 21, 2002

By	"irken_invader_zim" (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

As long as you keep in mind that the book is under the PocketExpert Guide series then you will know what you are getting. The book does have over 500 + popular marine species but doesnt give more than very general information about each species. There are also some listings with no other information than it's photo, scientific name and its tank suitablity rank. In conclusion, its a good general book but I'll probably look for another fish book.