Publisher Description

The Amazon and Orinoco basins in northern South America are home to the highest concentration of freshwater fish species on earth, with more than 3,000 species allotted to 564 genera. Amazonian fishes include piranhas, electric eels, freshwater stingrays, a myriad of beautiful small-bodied tetras and catfishes, and the largest scaled freshwater fish in the world, the pirarucu. Field Guide to the Fishes of the Amazon, Orinoco, and Guianas provides descriptions and identification keys for all the known genera of fishes that inhabit Greater Amazonia, a vast and still mostly remote region of tropical rainforests, seasonally flooded savannas, and meandering lowland rivers. The guide's contributors include more than fifty expert scientists. They summarize the current state of knowledge on the taxonomy, species richness, and ecology of these fish groups, and provide references to relevant literature for species-level identifications. This richly illustrated guide contains 700 detailed drawings, 190 color photos, and 500 distribution maps, which cover all genera. An extensive and illustrated glossary helps readers with the identification keys.The first complete overview of the fish diversity in the Amazon, Orinoco, and Guianas, this comprehensive guide is essential for anyone interested in the freshwater life inhabiting this part of the world. * First complete overview of the fish diversity in the Amazon and Orinoco basins* Contributors include more than fifty experts* Identification keys and distribution maps for all genera*190 stunning color photos *700 detailed line drawings* Extensive and illustrated glossary

Back Cover

"This is an extremely valuable guide to the genera of fishes in the Amazon. Contributors include every prominent ichthyologist working on Amazonian fishes today, making this an essential guide to the field." --Luiz A. Rocha, California Academy of Sciences " Field Guide to the Fishes of the Amazon, Orinoco, and Guianas is an outstanding contribution to the field of neotropical ichthyology. There are no similar books on the market." --Jansen Zuanon, National Institute for Amazonian Research

Author Biography

Peter van der Sleen is a postdoctoral fellow at the Marine Science Institute of the University of Texas, Austin. James S. Albert is professor of biology at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette. He is the coeditor of Historical Biogeography of Neotropical Freshwater Fishes.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Michael J Goulding 7Preface by Luiz R Malabarba 8Acknowledgments 9Contributors 11General Introduction 13Evolutionary History of Amazonian Fishes 14Amazonian Fish Diversity 15Amazonian Fish Ecology 17Conservation of Amazonian Fishes 22Further Reading 22How to Use This Book 23Concept 23Structure 23Using Taxonomic Keys 23The Genus Accounts 23Distribution Maps 24Drawings 24Photographic Plates 24Limitations of This Book 25Identification Key to Fish Families 26Photographic Guide to Fish Families 35The Fish Families 69CarcharhiniformesCarcharhinidae-Requiem Sharks 69PristiformesPristidae-Sawfishes or Carpenter Sharks 69MyliobatiformesPotamotrygonidae-River Stingrays 70LepidosireniformesLepidosirenidae-South American Lungfish 72AnguilliformesOphichthidae-Snake Eels 73OsteoglossiformesArapaimidae-Bonytongues 73Osteoglossidae-Arowanas 74ClupeiformesClupeidae-Herrings 74Engraulidae-Anchovies 75Pristigasteridae-Longfin Herrings 79CharaciformesAcestrorhynchidae-Freshwater Barracudas 81Anostomidae-Toothed Headstanders 82Bryconidae-Dorados or Jaw Characins 90Chalceidae-Tucanfishes 91Characidae-Tetras and Relatives 92Aphyocharacinae-Bloodfin Tetras 93Aphyoditeinae-Aphyoditeine Tetras 97Characinae-Characine Tetras 102Cheirodontinae-Cheirodontine Tetras 106Heterocharacinae-Heterocharacine Tetras 110Stevardiinae-Stevardiine Tetras 113Characidae incertae sedis Including Subfamilies Tetragonopterinae and Stethaprioninae 128Chilodontidae-Headstanders 141Crenuchidae-South American Darters 142Ctenoluciidae-Pike-characins 148Curimatidae-Toothless Characins 148Cynodontidae-Dogtooth Characiforms 154Erythrinidae-Wolf-fishes and Yarrows 156Gasteropelecidae-Freshwater Hatchetfishes 158Hemiodontidae-Halftooths 161Iguanodectidae-IguanodectidCharaciforms 163Lebiasinidae-Pencilfishes 165Parodontidae-Scrapetooths 169Prochilodontidae-Flannel Mouth Characiforms 170Serrasalmidae-Piranhas and Pacus 172Triportheidae-Elongate Hatchetfishes and Relatives 196SiluriformesAriidae-Sea Catfishes 198Aspredinidae-Banjo Catfishes 202Astroblepidae-Andean Hillstream or Climbing Catfishes 207Auchenipteridae-Driftwood Catfishes 208Callichthyidae-Callichthyid Armored Catfishes 216Cetopsidae-Whale Catfishes 220Doradidae-Thorny Catfishes 222Heptapteridae-Three-barbeled Catfishes 233Loricariidae-Suckermouth Armored Catfishes 253Hypoptopomatinae-Otos and Relatives 254Hypostominae-Plecos and Relatives 259Lithogeninae-Climbing Armored Catfishes 286Loricariinae-Loricariine Armored Catfishes 287Rhinelepinae-Rhinelepine Plecos 298Pimelodidae-Long-whiskered Catfishes 299Pseudopimelodidae-BumblebeeCatfishes, Dwarf-marbled Catfishes 308Scoloplacidae-Spiny Dwarf Catfishes 310Trichomycteridae-Pencil Catfishes, Torrent Catfishes, and Parasitic Catfishes (Candirus) 311Siluriform Phreatobius incertae sedis 322GymnotiformesApteronotidae-Ghost Knifefishes 322Gymnotidae-Electric Eel and Banded Knifefishes 330Hypopomidae-Grass Knifefishes 334Rhamphichthyidae-Painted Knifefishes, Sand Knifefishes, and Trumpet Knifefishes 337Sternopygidae-Glass Knifefishes, Rattail Knifefishes 341CyprinodontiformesAnablepidae-Four-eyed Fishes 345Cyprinodontidae-Pupfishes 346Poeciliidae-Livebearers 346Rivulidae-Rivuline Killifishes 350PerciformesCichlidae-Cichlids 359Polycentridae-New World Leaf-Fishes 385Sciaenidae-Drums or Croakers 386GobiiformesEleotridae-Sleepers 388Gobiidae-Gobies 392BatrachoidiformesBatrachoididae-Toadfishes 396BeloniformesBelonidae-Needlefishes 397Hemirhamphidae-Halfbeaks 398SynbranchiformesSynbranchidae-Swamp Eels 399SyngnathiformesSyngnathidae-Pipefishes 399PleuronectiformesAchiridae-American Soles 400TetraodontiformesTetraodontidae-Pufferfishes 402Glossary of Technical Terms 403Literature Cited 413Photo Credits 459Index 460

Review

"This book is a really great source not only for all ichthyologists working with fish from the AOG, but also for all interested in the AOG fish fauna. The authors did a big hit while including all genera and giving keys to all of them. It's worth much more than the price asked for."---Harro Hieronimus, Bulletin of Fish Biology

Long Description

The Amazon and Orinoco basins in northern South America are home to the highest concentration of freshwater fish species on earth, with more than 3,000 species allotted to 564 genera. Amazonian fishes include piranhas, electric eels, freshwater stingrays, a myriad of beautiful small-bodied tetras and catfishes, and the largest scaled freshwater fish in the world, the pirarucu. Field Guide to the Fishes of the Amazon, Orinoco, and Guianas provides descriptions and identification keys for all the known genera of fishes that inhabit Greater Amazonia, a vast and still mostly remote region of tropical rainforests, seasonally flooded savannas, and meandering lowland rivers. The guide's contributors include more than fifty expert scientists. They summarize the current state of knowledge on the taxonomy, species richness, and ecology of these fish groups, and provide references to relevant literature for species-level identifications. This richly illustrated guide contains 700 detailed drawings, 190 color photos, and 500 distribution maps, which cover all genera. An extensive and illustrated glossary helps readers with the identification keys.The first complete overview of the fish diversity in the Amazon, Orinoco, and Guianas, this comprehensive guide is essential for anyone interested in the freshwater life inhabiting this part of the world. * First complete overview of the fish diversity in the Amazon and Orinoco basins* Contributors include more than fifty experts* Identification keys and distribution maps for all genera*190 stunning color photos *700 detailed line drawings* Extensive and illustrated glossary

Review Quote

"This is an extremely valuable guide to the genera of fishes in the Amazon. Contributors include every prominent ichthyologist working on Amazonian fishes today, making this an essential guide to the field." --Luiz A. Rocha, California Academy of Sciences

Details