Publisher's Synopsis
Reef Fishes of the East Indies is an essential reference for biologists, naturalists, and scuba divers. Though there are many other reef fish identification guides available, this is the only reference that covers every known reef fish species from the East Indian region. It will be particularly valuable to those divers that are increasingly pushing the limits of traditional identification guides and photographing and observing rare or cryptic species not otherwise covered there. This series has been written to engender an appreciation of the region's amazing biodiversity and the urgent need to conserve it for the benefit of future generations. More than 10 years have lapsed since the printing of the widely acclaimed first edition. This fully revised and enlarged second edition contains 366 additional species, numerous geographic range extensions, and nearly 1,500 new photographs.
Stretching from the Andaman Sea to the Solomon Islands, the East Indies encompasses a vast array of marine habitats and unsurpassed marine biological diversity. It is home to approximately 4,000 marine fish species, of which nearly 3,000 species occur on coral reefs and nearby habitats. Reef Fishes of the East Indies presents a truly comprehensive treatment of the region's reef fish fauna is richly illustrated with more than 4,000 color photographs, the majority taken in situ. The informative text provides current information on the classification, habitat, and distributional range of each species as well an overall synopsis for each of the 128 families covered. The book represents a culmination of the prolific careers of two highly dedicated marine biologists, Dr. Gerald R. Allen and Dr. Mark V. Erdmann, who have spent a combined total in excess of 70 years exploring and describing the piscine treasures in the "heart" of marine fish biodiversity.
