The complex lives of British freshwater fishes / Dr. Mark Everard ; with photography by Jack Perks.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Everard, Mark, author.

Contributor:

Perks, Jack, illustrator.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Freshwater fishes--Great Britain.

Freshwater fishes.

Fishes--Great Britain.

Fishes.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (371 pages) : illustrations (chiefly color)

Edition:

First edition

Place of Publication:

Boca Raton, Florida ; London, England ; New York : CRC Press, 2020.

Summary:

This stunningly illustrated book goes far beyond a run-of-the-mill nature guide. It explores the fascinating life histories of Britain's freshwater fishes, a group of animals which, despite their importance and ubiquity in our diverse still and flowing fresh waters, has before now been rarely regarded and respected as 'wildlife'. Our native fishes tend generally to be considered as simply something for anglers to catch or for people to eat, yet they work enormously hard for us. Author Mark Everard, avid nature-watcher, angler and scientist, shows how freshwater fish provide food, ornamentation, sport and cultural identity, and highlights their huge importance for conservation as part of the living ecosystems upon which we all depend. He dives into the mysteries moving below the surface of our rivers and lakes, bringing the wonderful and fascinating world of the diversity of British freshwater fish species into plain sight and into mind. This unique book features over 100 full-colour photographs by pioneering photographer and filmmaker Jack Perks, whose work has featured on BBC Springwatch, The One Show and Countryfile. The book is filled with technical detail useful to conservationists and biology students. Most importantly, it is also presented in an accessible, visually attractive and engaging manner that will appeal to anybody with an interest in the natural world: the conservation-minded public, the angling community, and our nation of wildlife enthusiasts. Whatever your background, this book will open your eyes to our freshwater fishy wealth, and the many ways in which it enriches our lives.

Contents:

Cover

Half Title

Endorsements

Title Page

Copyright Page

Contents

Author

Photographer

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: What is a fish?

2.1 There is no such thing as a fish

2.2 Fish and other wildlife

2.3 Below the surface

2.4 Fish and fishes

2.5 Game and coarse fishes

2.6 Shoalers and loners

2.7 A crazy little thing called fish

Chapter 3: What have freshwater fishes ever done for us?

3.1 The many human uses of freshwater fishes

3.2 The roles Britain's fishes play in freshwater ecosystems

3.3 Cultural values of freshwater fishes

3.4 How freshwater fishes use people

Chapter 4: Knowing your way round a fish

4.1 Fishy senses

4.2 Body shape

4.3 Fin characteristics

4.4 Scales, the lateral line and mucus

4.5 Mouth, barbels and teeth

4.6 The swim bladder and buoyancy

4.7 Colour

Chapter 5: The piscatorial dramatis personae

5.1 Fishes of the carp and minnow family

5.2 Fishes of the salmon family

5.3 The pike

5.4 The perch family

5.5 Other smaller fishes

5.6 The elusive European eel

5.7 Britain's ancient lampreys

5.8 The British shads

5.9 The not-so-common sturgeon

5.10 The curious case of the extinct burbot

5.11 Catfishes, great and small

5.12 The rainbow perch

5.13 Marine intruders

5.14 Imaginary freshwater fishes

Chapter 6: Freshwater fish ecosystems

6.1 Our moist island nation

6.2 Rivers and streams

6.3 Still waters

6.4 Canals, drains and ditches

6.5 Transitional waters

6.6 Subterranean fishes

6.7 Fish migration

6.8 So how did Britain's freshwater fishes get there?

Chapter 7: Sex lives of the British freshwater fishes

7.1 Reproduction in the roach

7.2 Reproduction in the other cyprinid fishes

7.3 Reproduction in the salmonid fishes.

7.4 Paternal brood care by British freshwater fishes

7.5 The lampreys: Loved to death

7.6 The bitterling: Pulling a mussel

7.7 Drifting with the current

7.8 The mysterious case of the European eel

7.9 Sex lives of the remaining British freshwater fish species

7.10 Reproduction amongst the marine intruders

7.11 Weird sex and development

Chapter 8: The things that Britain's freshwater fishes eat

8.1 The diets of juvenile freshwater fishes

8.2 The diets of adult freshwater fishes

8.3 Where does all this food come from?

8.4 Timing

8.5 Diet and ecology

Chapter 9: The curious world of Britain's freshwater fishes

9.1 The British freshwater fish 'Book of Records'

9.2 Royal fishes

9.3 Iconic fishes

9.4 Fishy faculties

9.5 The frankly bizarre world of the European eel

Chapter 10: The curious and curiouser world of the European eel

10.1 The mysterious origins of baby eels

10.2 What we know and the stories we tell

10.3 When is an eel not an eel, or at least not the eel we thought it was?

10.4 Eel fisheries

10.5 Pet eels

10.6 Eels and psychoanalysis

10.7 Eel gastronomy

10.8 The endangered eel

10.9 The shady world of eel smuggling

10.10 Eeling and healing

10.11 Eel poisons

10.12 Eel and education

10.13 Eels and language

10.14 Eels and religion

10.15 Eel and the arts

10.16 Eel conservation

Chapter 11: Conservation

11.1 Valuing biodiversity

11.2 Threats to British freshwater fishes

11.3 Problems associated with introduced fishes

11.4 Nature conservation and Britain's freshwater fishes

11.5 Good religious intentions that can turn bad

11.6 The unfortunate legacy of 'acclimatisation societies'

Chapter 12: Management of fresh waters for fish

12.1 Fishery management for conservation

12.2 Fish stock management.

12.3 Predator management

12.4 Species introductions

12.5 Habitat enhancement

Chapter 13: Fish twitching

13.1 Fish twitching and other forms of enjoyment of nature

13.2 Fish twitching methods

13.3 Fish care when fish twitching

13.4 Fish twitching tourism

13.5 Fish twitching for fun

Chapter 14: So what have we learned about Britain's freshwater fishes?

Further reading

Appendix 1: Glossary

Appendix 2: Distribution maps of British freshwater fishes

Appendix 3: The tendency of British freshwater leuciscine fishes to hybridise

Appendix 4: Key identification features of British freshwater cyprinid fishes

Appendix 5: Freshwater fishes banned under UK legislation

Appendix 6: Fish species scheduled for conservation action

Index.

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-00-300760-0

1-000-05746-1

1-003-00760-0

1-000-05748-8

9781003007609

OCLC:

1156348820