Freshwater Fishes of Southern Africa

Well over 300 freshwater fish species found in the region’s rivers; lakes and dams feature in this fully revised third edition of Freshwater Fishes of Southern Africa. Updated and expanded; this definitive guide includes newly described species; the latest taxonomic changes; new photographs and illustrations; and updated distribution maps. An in-depth introduction; supported by explanatory illustrations and photographs; covers: A short history of fish science in the region. Ecoregions in which species occur. Anatomy; biology and ecology of fishes. Human impacts on fishes. Conservation status. New understanding of evolutionary relationships between different fish groups. The book also includes: Succinct descriptions of large taxonomic groups of fish; with global distribution charts. Detailed species accounts covering size; identification features; distribution; biology; ecology; conservation; and uses by humans. Full-colour illustrations and up-to-date distribution maps for each species. An invaluable tool for anglers; students and academics in the field; and conservationists. Sales points: Comprehensive guide to southern Africa’s freshwater fishes. Latest scientific information. Accurate and detailed full-colour illustrations. Highlights diagnostic features for easy identification.

Emeritus Professor Paul H. Skelton has focused on freshwater fishes all his professional life. He began his career at the Albany Museum in Makhanda (Grahamstown) as curator of lower vertebrates. In 1984; he joined the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (formerly the JLB Smith Institute of Ichthyology) as curator of freshwater fishes. He was appointed director of the institute in 1995; a position he held until his retirement in 2011. He has received several awards for his contribution to the field and has served on the IUCN Freshwater Specialist Group. He lives in Port Alfred; South Africa.