Among the fishes, a remarkably wide range of biological adaptations to
diverse habitats has evolved. As well as living in the conventional
habitats of lakes, ponds, rivers, rock pools and the open sea, fish have
solved the problems of life in deserts, in the deep sea, in the cold
antarctic, and in warm waters of high alkalinity or of low oxygen. Along
with these adaptations, we find the most impressive specializations of
morphology, physiology and behaviour. For example we can marvel at the
high-speed swimming of the marlins, sailfish and warm-blooded tunas,
air-breathing in catfish and lung- fish, parental care in the
mouth-brooding cichlids and viviparity in many sharks and toothcarps.
Moreover, fish are of considerable importance to the survival of the
human species in the form of nutritious, delicious and diverse food.
Rational exploitation and management of our global stocks of fishes must
rely upon a detailed and precise insight of their biology. The Chapman &
Hall Fish and Fisheries Series aims to present timely volumes reviewing
important aspects of fish biology. Most volumes will be of interest to
research workers in biology, zoology, ecology and physiology but an
additional aim is for the books to be accessible to a wide spectrum of
non-specialist readers ranging from undergraduates and postgraduates to
those with an intrerest in industrial and commercial aspects of fish and
fisheries.
