Reef Fishes Volume 1 (Hardcover)

by Scott W. Michael (Author) "IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE ALPS IN NORTHERN ITALY, THERE IS A fossilized coral reef where scientists have found the remains of more than 80..." (more)
Key Phrases: coral croucher, ornamental crustaceans, frogfish species, Red Sea, Great Barrier Reef, Other Advice (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Covering 68 families and thousands of species, Reef Fishes is an authoritative guide designed to be a lifelong reference for saltwater aquarists, divers, and amateur reef naturalists. This volume covers coral reef habitats and fish families, with detailed information on major groups.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 624 pages
• Publisher: TFH Publications (June 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890087211
• ISBN-13: 978-1890087210
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 8.8 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Note: Gift-wrapping is not available for this item.
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #746,649 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book for the families of fish represented, December 27, 2002

By	Thomas Smith (Bentonville, AR USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Definitive Source for Marine Fish Information, November 16, 2000

By	Michael A. Roman (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent reference for even the advanced hobbyist!, November 4, 1999

By A Customer

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!