Customer Reviews

Reef Fishes Volume 1

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After reading the glowing reviews and getting a quick perusal of the book at the local aquarium shop I asked for this book as a Christmas present. In many ways this first volume is all I expected, a thorough review of many of the species of fish in the covered families with plenty of nice photos. The book also describes care and feeding.

The downside, and something I didn't pick up while thumbing through the book in the aquarium store, is that this is the first book of a 4 part series. Which means the book only covers approximately a third of the common reef fish families. And worse yet, although the author states that the primary audience the book is directed toward is aquarists, it appears that the majority of fish families presented in the first volume are more of the less commom species of fish kept by reef aquarists. The first volume contains fish like eels, catfishes, lizardfish, toadfish, frogfish, squirrelfish, sea moths, pipefish, seahorses, scorpionfish, etc., not species you'll find in the majority of reef tanks. The only families included that I would possibly keep in my tank are the dwarf seabasses, hamlets, and anthias.

We'll have to wait for volume II to get the dottybacks,grammas, hawkfish, cardinalfish, butterflyfish, angelfish, and damselfish (among others). And volume III to get the wrasses, blennies, gobies, and surgeonfishes (among others). Volume IV is supposedly an index of the first three volumes.

Dividing the reef fish into 3 volumes is not a bad idea, although it would have been nice to have the more common species in the FIRST volume. Particularly when volume I was published in 1998, and we're still waiting for volume II. Assuming Volume II was published in 2003 (a hopefull guess) then I can look forward to reading about Tangs in volume III somewhere around 2007. In retrospect I may have found a book that provided more info. on commonly kept species.

Having said all that, for what Volume I represents, it is presented very well and in thorough easily digested detail. Let's hope Mr. Michael gets really ambitious and pumps out volume II and III next year.

This book is an absolutely amazing collection of useful information on marine fish. It is expected to be done in 3 vols. with each focusing on certain families only. It includes a chart of compatibility, ease of keeping, feeding needs, etc. that is better and more succinct than ANY book I have seen anywhere on the topic. Vol 1 even has a seahorse section that is more practical and complete than any dedicated seahorse book I have seen. This is great for beginners and also highly informative for veterans. WELL worth the price.

This book covers an overview of the ecology and natural history of coral reefs and their inhabitants. It also covers the requirements of fish for keeping in aquariums, what they eat, tank requirements, water requirements, taxonimy, and where they come from. This book contains photos that can't be found in most other literature. Over all, this is an excellent companion for any reef hobbyist, scuba diver, or anyone else interested in life on coral reefs. I have been in the hobby for 16 years and take it from me, this book is well worth the money!

The knowledge of marine fish captive care grows daily. Scott Michael takes that knowledge to a new level with a informative, educational yet easy to read book. If there is any saltwater fish that you are contemplating purchasing, this is the book to consult. It is so complete, so easy to read, so filled with good portraits of the fish and stories of their habitats, that I expect to find this series behind every marine fish dealers desk in America! Michael detials the captive care of hundreds of popular, not so popular and down right rare fish. He speaks from a love of marine fish; and it shows.

There are better books for beginners. There are better books for intermediate hobbyists. The books by John Tullock are excellent for aquarium questions and advice. This book is about the fish.

It is the definitive reference guide for marine fish. It will be for a long, long time.

The book provides the readers with detail information in captive care, their natural habitat and specific behavior of each sub-catergories of marine fish specious, which is extremely important in understanding the fish and to provide them with a more suitable environment. This is the book every marine fish lover should consult before choosing any fish for their aquarium from the pet shop. This is important because no one should allow themself to become a fish killer if they possess the information to prevent making the wrong choices for their tank. I am looking forward to the second volumne to be in the market, because the volumne one does not cover many lovely specious especially the "Angel Fish".

This is a beautifully produced work, packed with well-written text as well as outstanding photography. This may possibly be the "best" coral reef fish book. However, it's not designed to meet the needs of the traveling snorkeler or scuba diver who needs a transportable fish id book.

The three volumes in this set will each cover a different set of families. The first volume includes morays, toadfish, trumpetfish, scorpionfish, lionfish, anthias, and several others. The two future volumes will include the other major families, such as butterfly fish, angel fish, parrot fish, wrasses, and gobies. For divers and underwater photographers, as opposed to aquarists, buying just one volume of the set would not be enough. The first volume alone is over 500 pages, and is published in hard back, so these are designed to reside in your library rather than fit into your suitcase.

Pluses: The text is a pleasure to read. You can open this book at any page and find that you can't put it down. It puts the popular Indo Pacific Coral Reef Field Guide and the recently published Lieske and Myers guide to shame in this respect. It appears to be the most comprehensive coral reef fish book I've seen, with sections of about 15-20 pages each on scorpionfish or morays--far superior to any of the popular guides on the market. It has a scientific perspective and appears to be as much a marine biology text as it is a fish ID book. The chapter on coral reef ecology alone is better than the small Pisces book on that subject. The photos are outstanding, and the production quality is as high as any book I've seen in this category.

Minuses: This book is written firstly for the aquarist and secondly for the diver and photographer. This is reflected in the layout (the book is organized by fish family rather than geographically, which limits it's usefulness as a fish identification guide), in the content (sharks, rays, barracudas, and pelagic reef visitors are missing from the table of contents), and in the theme, which is focused on keeping reef fish in captivity as much as observing them in their natural habitat.

Overall, it's better than anything else out there. But if you want a portable fish ID book to take on dive trips, this isn't it.

This is a wonderful book. It give s agreat intor to the general aspects of anatomy, physiology and ecology of reef fishes. It then goes on into detail on several families of fish. Among these are: Eels, Frogfishes, Seahorses, Squirrelfishes, Lionfishes, Anthias, and several others.

At least 2 more volumes are planned.

Volume 2 has been due "soon" for quite a while now. I hope "soon" isn't much longer--it will include many of the most interesting fishes: Damselfishes, Butterflyfishes, Angelfishes, Dottybacks, Jawfishes, Grammas, and several more.

Volume 3 (who knows when it will arrive) will include wrasses, blennies, gobies, surgeonfishes, rabbitfishes, pufferfishes and several others.

This series will definitely be the "definitive reference on all fishes a marine aquarist might ever encounter." The author, Scott W. Michael, is a renowned expert in this field. He has more than 25 years experience as an aquarist and diver. He has written several other books and contributes regularly to Aquarium Fish Magazine.

Highly recommended!!

This is one of the best fish books I've ever owned. The author succeeds admirably in his goal of providing a comprehensive reference to reef fishes. There are a couple of things prospective buyers should note:

1) There is more in-depth information about each species than I've seen in any other fish book---by this, I mean pages instead of a paragraph or two.

2) This is only volume 1 of an eventual 3 volume set that will provide a comprehensive reference to virtually all reef fishes. What this means is that all kinds of bizarre fishes are covered in detail----even those that most of us would never consider for our own aquarium and those that we will never see unless we take up scuba diving. Many (most?) of the fishes that the amateur aquarist might own will be covered in future volumes.

The text is well-written and fun to read. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on frogfishes, even though I can't imagine myself owning one. Additionally, the book is profusely illustrated with excellent color photographs. It's really astounding that one person could do all the research, compilation, and writing that went into this. Whatever Mr. Michael is making from this book, it's not enough.

Over-all, a really terrific book, and I'm waiting with bated breath for volumes 1 and 2. I hope the author can find time and energy enough to get them out within a few years.

I have a copy of Reef Fishes and it is amazing. I am looking foward to the next two volumes and I plan on purchasing them. If you are a marine aquarist, do purchase a copy because it is a well written book and the pictures of the many reef fish are breath taking! I was one of the fortunate few to observe some of the creatures in their own environment and the photos made me think I was there. Just an excellent book to have for your collection.

This book is a excellent reference, one that every saltwater fish enthusiast should have in their library. It goes into great detail about each reef fish, including their captive care, disorders and diseases, compatibility, reproduction and many other topics, way too many to list. Plus, the pictures are awesome! A must for anyone of enjoys saltwater aquariums.