Oceanic Anglerfishes

Oceanic Anglerfishes PDF Author: Theodore W. Pietsch Ph.D.
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520942558
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 571

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Book Description
No environment on Earth imposes greater physical and biological constraints on life than the deep oceanic midwaters. Near-freezing temperatures, the absence of sunlight, enormous pressure, and a low food supply make habitation by any living thing almost inconceivable. Yet 160 species of anglerfishes are found there in surprising profusion. Monstrous in appearance, anglerfishes possess a host of unique and spectacular morphological, behavioral, and physiological innovations. In this fully illustrated book, the first to focus on these intriguing fish, Theodore W. Pietsch delivers a comprehensive summary of all that is known about anglerfishes—morphology, diversity, evolution, geographic distribution, bioluminescence, and reproduction.

Oceanic Anglerfishes

Oceanic Anglerfishes PDF Author: Theodore W. Pietsch Ph.D.
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520942558
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 571

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Book Description
No environment on Earth imposes greater physical and biological constraints on life than the deep oceanic midwaters. Near-freezing temperatures, the absence of sunlight, enormous pressure, and a low food supply make habitation by any living thing almost inconceivable. Yet 160 species of anglerfishes are found there in surprising profusion. Monstrous in appearance, anglerfishes possess a host of unique and spectacular morphological, behavioral, and physiological innovations. In this fully illustrated book, the first to focus on these intriguing fish, Theodore W. Pietsch delivers a comprehensive summary of all that is known about anglerfishes—morphology, diversity, evolution, geographic distribution, bioluminescence, and reproduction.

The Extreme Life of the Sea

The Extreme Life of the Sea PDF Author: Anthony R. Palumbi
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691229236
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 262

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Book Description
A thrilling tour of the sea's most extreme species, coauthored by one of the world's leading marine scientists The ocean teems with life that thrives under difficult situations in unusual environments. The Extreme Life of the Sea takes readers to the absolute limits of the ocean world—the fastest and deepest, the hottest and oldest creatures of the oceans. It dives into the icy Arctic and boiling hydrothermal vents—and exposes the eternal darkness of the deepest undersea trenches—to show how marine life thrives against the odds. This thrilling book brings to life the sea's most extreme species, and tells their stories as characters in the drama of the oceans. Coauthored by Stephen Palumbi, one of today’s leading marine scientists, The Extreme Life of the Sea tells the unforgettable tales of some of the most marvelous life forms on Earth, and the challenges they overcome to survive. Modern science and a fluid narrative style give every reader a deep look at the lives of these species. The Extreme Life of the Sea shows you the world’s oldest living species. It describes how flying fish strain to escape their predators, how predatory deep-sea fish use red searchlights only they can see to find and attack food, and how, at the end of her life, a mother octopus dedicates herself to raising her batch of young. This wide-ranging and highly accessible book also shows how ocean adaptations can inspire innovative commercial products—such as fan blades modeled on the flippers of humpback whales—and how future extremes created by human changes to the oceans might push some of these amazing species over the edge.

The Ecology of Marine Fishes

The Ecology of Marine Fishes PDF Author: Larry G. Allen
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 9780520246539
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 586

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Book Description
“A masterful accomplishment—Allen, Pondella and Horn have assembled a talented team of experts who produce authoritative, up-to-date accounts. This book will be used as the primary text in many fish biology courses and as a valuable reference elsewhere. Here is a wealth of data waiting to be mined by legions of graduate students as they generate the new ideas that will motivate marine ecology for years.”—Peter Sale, Editor of Coral Reef Fishes: Dynamics and Diversity in a Complex Ecosystem "A copiously illustrated and comprehensive interpretation of the past, present, and future state of over 500 species of fishes in Californian waters. A compilation of virtually all the many important studies on the ecology of California marine fishes."—Bruce B. Collette, National Marine Fisheries Service and co-author of The Diversity of Fishes

Deep-Sea Fishes

Deep-Sea Fishes PDF Author: Imants G. Priede
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316033457
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 513

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Book Description
The technological advances of the last twenty years have brought huge advances in our understanding of the deep sea and of the species inhabiting this elusive and fascinating environment. Synthesising the very latest research and discoveries, this is a comprehensive and much-needed account of deep-sea fishes. Priede examines all aspects of this incredibly diverse group of animals, reviewing almost 3,500 species and covering deep-sea fish evolution, physiology and ecology as well as charting the history of their discovery from the eighteenth century to the present day. Providing a global account of both pelagic and demersal species, the book ultimately considers the effect of the growing deep-sea fishing industry on sustainability. Copiously illustrated with explanations of the deep-sea environment, drawings of fishes and information on how they adapt to the deep, this is an essential resource for biologists, conservationists, fishery managers and anyone interested in marine evolution and natural history.

What a Fish Knows

What a Fish Knows PDF Author: Jonathan Balcombe
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 0374288216
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 305

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Book Description
An underwater exploration that overturns myths about fishes and reveals their complex lives, from tool use to social behavior

Frogfishes

Frogfishes PDF Author: Theodore W. Pietsch
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
ISBN: 1421432528
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 619

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Book Description
The authoritative expert's guide to fascinating frogfishes and their unusual lives. Winner of the PROSE Award for Best Single Volume Reference in Science by the Association of American Publishers Unique among the world's fishes, frogfishes display a bizarre combination of attributes and behaviors that make them a subject of fervent study. Through cunning and trickery, they turn would-be predators into prey; they "walk" across the ocean floor and jet-propel through open water; some lay their eggs in a floating mucoid mass, while others employ complex patterns of parental care; and they are certainly among the most colorful of nature's productions. In Frogfishes, two of the world's leading anglerfish experts, Theodore W. Pietsch and Rachel J. Arnold, bring together an enormous amount of information about these incredible creatures. The only detailed exploration of frogfishes in print, the book touches on everything from their morphology and biomechanics to their diets and habitats. Enhanced with more than 500 spectacular color images, the book also includes • a thorough look at about 5,000 preserved specimens; • an annotated synonymy for all extant taxa, as well as keys and tables to facilitate identification; • insights into frogfish feeding, locomotion, mimicry, and reproductive behavior; • descriptions of recent scientific advances, including the discovery of new species, shifts in geographic distribution, and emerging DNA sequencing techniques; and • tips for frogfish-seeking divers and aquarists that emphasize conservation. Unmasking the mysteries of frogfish evolution and phylogenetic relationships through close examination of their fossil record, morphology, and molecular reconstruction, Frogfishes demonstrates the surprising diversity and beauty of this remarkable assemblage of marine shorefishes.

Deep-Sea Fishes

Deep-Sea Fishes PDF Author: I. G. Priede
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107083826
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 513

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Book Description
A comprehensive account of deep-sea fishes, covering evolution, ecology and the potential threats posed by the growing fishing industry.

Fishes: A Guide to Their Diversity

Fishes: A Guide to Their Diversity PDF Author: Philip A. Hastings
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520278720
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 336

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Book Description
"This is a coursebook and reference guide for ichthyology courses that will also serve as a tool for ichthyologists, fisheries scientists, marine biologists, and vertebrate zoologists. It will cover the basic anatomy and diversity of all 62 orders of fishes, focusing on the distinguishing characteristics of approximately 180 of the most commonly encountered fish families. Each family will be diagnosed with easily observed characteristics and clear photos--many in color and from living specimens. This guide will be distinctive through the use of photographs of preserved specimens primarily from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography Marine Vertebrate Collection, supplemented by radiographs and additional illustrations of key characters. The goal is to give ichthyology students, fisheries scientists, marine biologists, vertebrate zoologists, and others with an interest or stake in the diversity of fishes a broad overview of the morphological diversity of fishes, arranged in a modern classification system. For students, it's a natural complement to primary ichthyology textbooks, which don't cover the breadth of morphological characteristics necessary to identify fish"--Provided by publisher.

Odd Couples

Odd Couples PDF Author: Daphne J. Fairbairn
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691169780
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 310

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Book Description
The remarkable and unique ways that male and female animals play out gender roles in nature While we joke that men are from Mars and women are from Venus, our gender differences can't compare to those of many other animals. For instance, the male garden spider spontaneously dies after mating with a female more than fifty times his size. And male blanket octopuses employ a copulatory arm longer than their own bodies to mate with females that outweigh them by four orders of magnitude. Why do these gender gulfs exist? Introducing readers to important discoveries in animal behavior and evolution, Odd Couples explores some of the most extraordinary sexual differences in the animal world. Daphne Fairbairn uncovers the unique and bizarre characteristics of these remarkable species and the special strategies they use to maximize reproductive success. Fairbairn also considers humans and explains that although we are keenly aware of our own sexual differences, they are unexceptional within the vast animal world. Looking at some of the most amazing creatures on the planet, Odd Couples sheds astonishing light on what it means to be male or female in the animal kingdom.

The Wasp That Brainwashed the Caterpillar

The Wasp That Brainwashed the Caterpillar PDF Author: Matt Simon
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0698411250
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 274

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Book Description
“A bizarre collection of evolution tales . . . the weirder, the better.” —Entertainment Weekly A fascinating exploration of the awe-inspiring, unsettling ingenuity of evolution from Wired writer Matt Simon, author of Plight of the Living Dead (coming soon from Penguin Books) On a barren seafloor, the pearlfish swims into the safety of a sea cucumber’s anus. To find a meal, the female bolas spider releases pheromones that mimic a female moth, luring male moths into her sticky lasso web. The Glyptapanteles wasp injects a caterpillar with her young, which feed on the victim, erupt out of it, then mind-control the poor (and somehow still living) schmuck into protecting them from predators. These are among the curious critters of The Wasp That Brainwashed the Caterpillar, a jaunt through evolution’s most unbelievable, most ingenious solutions to the problems of everyday life, from trying to get laid to finding food. Join Wired science writer Matt Simon as he introduces you to the creatures that have it figured out, the ones that joust with their mustaches or choke sharks to death with snot, all in a wild struggle to survive and, of course, find true love. Winner of the American Library Association’s Alex Award