Handsomely
bound 8.5" by 11" volume, 428 pages with more than 350 illustrations,
including 120 color photographs numerous black and white photographs
and line drawings, list of illustrations, bibliography and
index.
Dr.
Robert Goldstein, a long-time participant in aquarium circles,
holds a doctorate in microbiology. Those of you who read SeaScope,
distributed by Aquarium Systems to local fish stores, should
recognize his name and work from the article he wrote in Volume
21, Issue 2, 2004, on the surprising and alarming appearance
of a breeding population of Lionfish (Pterois volitans)
in the western Atlantic, as least as far north as North Carolina.
His careful analysis and extensive follow up to assertions
made at the Marine Ornamentals 2004 Honolulu meeting and in
NOAA publications that the fishes were released by aquarists,
either intentionally or by an accidental release as a result
of storm destruction of an ocean side aquarium, reads like
a good detective story. His conclusions that the introductions
are equally likely to have been caused by releases of masses
of lionfish eggs in ballast water or intentionally by dive
operators in the affected area are certainly worth considering.
The article is an example of his diligence and attention to
detail.
In
American Aquarium Fishes he has produced a definitive
volume on an interesting niche in aquarium collections. While
I have seen some articles in hobbyist magazines on the topic,
this is the first serious and comprehensive work on the freshwater
fishes of the United States of interest to aquarists. The
volume is a compendium of information on hundreds of native
fishes more or less suitable for home aquariums. It provides
information on finding, identifying, capturing, maintaining
and breeding hundreds of species. For those of us who maintain
planted freshwater tanks there is even a chapter on American
aquatic plants for the aquarium. It should be noted that the
volume is indeed comprehensive and although it concentrates
on those fishes with some degree of appropriateness for home
aquaria, it includes many species that are too large, too
narrow in their needs or too drab to be of interest to any
but those with highly specialized interests.
The
introductory chapter offers basic information. There are over
700 freshwater species that make their home in U.S waters.
Of these more than one third are small and attractive enough
to be considered as aquarium species. Coastal waters include
many more, such as marine gobies and blennies.
Proud
sponsor of this column
Chapter
2, "Distribution of Fishes," discusses geological and meteorological
variations in U.S. ecosystems, and concludes, "The greatest
variety and abundance of freshwater fishes occur where the
greatest diversity and abundance of river drainages exist
- the eastern United States." Chapter 3, "Collecting and Transporting
Native Fishes," starts by advising collectors to become familiar
with local regulations regarding protected species and habitats.
These may vary widely between states and counties. This advice
is followed by an informative discussion of collection equipment
preferred by professional ichthyologists and by detailed instructions
on the use of dip nets, seines and other nets, along with
suggestions on appropriate clothing and footwear. The chapter
concludes with good general advice about shipping fishes.
Chapter 4, "Collecting Regulations and Protected Species,"
supports regulation and includes a very valuable listing of
species protected under the federal Endangered Species act
of 1973 and its subsequent amendments. The nearly 100 species
are listed by scientific name, common name and by protection
classification - E (endangered), T (threatened), PE (proposed
endangered), PT (proposed threatened) and C1 (likely to be
protected in the near future). The chapter concludes with
an overview of state-by-state regulations.
Chapter
5, "Plants in the Aquarium," by Richard Edwards, provides
a "sample of widespread North American plants suitable for
aquaria." It excludes plants requiring cold water and/or very
intense light. Each plant has an identification line drawing
and descriptive text including aquarium requirements. The
chapter includes 24 attractive and useful aquatic plants,
most not available through usual aquarium suppliers but that
collectors may find for themselves.
Chapter
6, "Foods and Feeding," suggests that live foods have "the
best acceptability and nutritive value." The author advises
that among dried foods only those which include Spirulina
be used and that freeze dried tubificid worms and "bloodworms"
should be avoided because of aquarist allergic reactions to
their dust and reported fish mortality following their use.
He then details techniques for developing and maintaining
cultures of unicellular protozoa and algae, rotifers, nematodes,
annelids, arthropods and insects. This chapter will be of
great value for those who wish to culture any of these organisms.
Chapter
7 "The Order Acipenseriformes," or sturgeons and paddlefishes,
begins the section of the book devoted to descriptions of
fishes and helpful hints about their aquarium needs. For most
species discussed, Goldstein recommends aquarium size and
set-up equipment, feeding regimes and where known, breeding
techniques. These chapters are illustrated with black and
white identification photos. There is a 16-page color section
containing photographs of 118 of the most colorful species.
Chapter 8 discusses the gars and Chapter 9 the bowfins. Some
of these fishes make interesting specimens for larger tanks;
their juveniles are often attractive and social.
Chapter
10 is on a large group of American fishes - the suckers (Catostomidae),
related to the loaches of Europe and Asia, and the minnows
(Cyprinidae). Most of the suckers are too large for home aquaria
but a number of minnow species are small and attractive. These
include members of the subgenus Notropis such as the
rainbow shiner and the roseyface shiner. The genus Pteronotropis,
"a group of spectacular gulf coast minnows," includes the
attractive bluenose shiner. Other genera in this group include
the dace and chubs, both of which include attractive species.
Chapter
11 covers the catfishes, with more than 2.200 species worldwide
and 1,300 U.S. species. Many of these are drab and too large
for home aquaria but there are small, attractive ones in this
group as well, such as the checkered madtom and the elegant
madtom. Many of these smaller species are protected and some
are recently extinct. The group also contains 4 blind cave-dwelling
species, all protected to various degrees.
Chapter
12 is on the Esociformes, the pikes and pickerels and the
mudminnows. Only the smaller pickerels can be considered aquarium
fish. In some mudminnow species (called that because of their
habit of diving into bottom mud when alarmed) the male, especially
in breeding colors, is very attractive. Chapter 13 is on the
Percopsiformes, a group of fishes including the cavefishes,
characterized by adaptations for low light environments. Many
are protected.
The
native killifishes are covered in chapter 14. Members of the
American Killifish Association trade many of these colorful
fishes through the mails. The mangrove rivulus, Rivulus
marmoratus, is a "synchronous, internally self-fertilizing
hermaphrodite, a mode of reproduction unique among vertebrates."
Each individual contains an "ovotestis" which produces both
eggs and sperm and most eggs produced are self-fertilized.
The Florida flagfish, Jordanella floridae, has occasionally
been available in retail stores and I found it to be a colorful
and hardy community fish. The Poeciliidae, familiar ovoviviparous
"livebearers" are the subject of Chapter 15. The group includes
the sailfin mollies and mosquitofishes. It also includes the
siversides, a marine group related to the dwarf rainbowfishes
of Australia.
Chapter
16 describes the Gasterosteiformes, including the sticklebacks,
a group much studied by ethologists and behaviorists because
of their breeding habits, territoriality and predator-prey
relationships. The group also contains the pretty pygmy sunfishes,
a number of which make interesting and attractive aquarium
subjects. Chapter 17 is on the scorpionfishes, primarily a
marine group containing such species as the sea robins, with
a single freshwater group, the sculpins.
Chapter
18 is on the Perciformes, the largest and most modern of the
bony fishes. Among these are aquarium candidates from the
sunfishes, perches, cichlids, blennies and gobies. Many beautiful
American sunfish, such as the pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibosus)
are prized, hardy, aquarium subjects in Europe and are periodically
available in the U.S. aquarium trade. The darters are also
in this order, a numerous group with a number of highly colored
species. Among cichlids, only the Texas cichlid, Cichlasoma
cyanoguttatum, is native. The chapter, and book, concludes
with the coastal fishes, the blennies and gobies. Most require
brackish aquariums.
In
conclusion, this is a unique work. Although the colored plates
are collected together in a 16 page section rather than accompanying
the text they refer to, it is easy to see from looking at
them that there are many beautiful U.S. fishes that can make
attractive specimens. The book contains much technical husbandry
and breeding information based on the authors wide experience
and readings. It has clearly been written with and eye toward
a larger and more professional audience than just aquarium
hobbyists. For those who are interested in native fishes with
aquarium potential it presents all that is currently known
on the subject and is an invaluable reference.
As
a final note, I would encourage you to grab a copy of the
August issue of Discover magazine (Vol25, Number8)
if you haven't already seen it. The issue contains the article,
"Plankton Planet" by Ivan Amato, with amazing and beautiful
scanning electron microscope images of marine phytoplankton.
The article is a tribute to these organisms "which, taken
together, may have influenced life on Earth more than any
other organism."
If
you found this article worthwhile, help support future
AAOLM publications with your generous contribution.
