Fish are one of the most important global food sources, supplying a significant share of the world’s protein consumption. From stocks of wild Alaskan salmon and North Sea cod to entire fish communities with myriad species, fisheries require careful management to ensure that stocks remain productive, and mathematical models are essential tools for doing so. Fish Ecology, Evolution, and Exploitation is an authoritative introduction to the modern size- and trait-based approach to fish populations and communities. Ken Andersen covers the theoretical foundations, mathematical formulations, and real-world applications of this powerful new modeling method, which is grounded in the latest ecological theory and population biology. He begins with fundamental assumptions on the level of individuals and goes on to cover population demography and fisheries impact assessments. He shows how size- and trait-based models shed new light on familiar fisheries concepts such as maximum sustainable yield and fisheries selectivity—insights that classic age-based theory can’t provide—and develops novel evolutionary impacts of fishing. Andersen extends the theory to entire fish communities and uses it to support the ecosystem approach to fisheries management, and forges critical links between trait-based methods and evolutionary ecology. Accessible to ecologists with a basic quantitative background, this incisive book unifies the thinking in ecology and fisheries science and is an indispensable reference for anyone seeking to apply size- and trait-based models to fish demography, fisheries impact assessments, and fish evolutionary ecology.

The impact of man on the biosphere is profound. Quite apart from our capacity to destroy natural ecosystems and to drive species to extinction, we mould the evolution of the survivors by the selection pressures we apply to them. This has implications for the continued health of our natural biological resources and for the way in which we seek to optimise yield from those resources. Of these biological resources, fish stocks are particularly important to mankind as a source of protein. On a global basis, fish stocks provide the major source of protein for human consumption from natural ecosystems, amounting to some seventy million tonnes in 1970. Although fisheries management has been extensively developed over the last century, it has not hitherto considered the evolutionary consequences of fishing activity. While this omission may not have been serious in the past, the ever increasing intensity of exploitation and the deteriorating health of fish stocks has generated an urgent need for a better understanding of evolution driven by harvesting and the implications of this for fish stock management. The foundations for this understanding for the most part come from recent developments in evolutionary biology and are not generally available to fisheries scientists. The purpose of this book is to provide this basis in a form that is both accessible and relevant to fisheries biology.

Among the fishes. a remarkably wide range ofbiological adaptations to diverse habitats has evolved. As weIl 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 lungfish. parental care in the mouth-brooding cichlids and viviparity in many sharks and toothcarps. Moreover. fish are of considerable importance of the survival of the human species in the form ofnutritious and delicious food ofnumerous kinds. Rational exploitation and management of our global stocks of fishes must rely upon a detailed and precise insight of their biology. The Chapman and 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 interest in industrial and commercial aspects of fish and fisheries.

The most thorough and current account of scientific research on bluefin tunas—the largest, most sought-after tunas in the world Bluefin tunas are dominant keystone predators known for their impressive size, strength, endurance, and speed. Electronic tags have revealed that they can dive to great depths (over 6000 feet) and migrate vast distances—from frigid subpolar seas to warm tropical waters—for spawning. Prized for their rich taste and unique texture, bluefin tunas are also a worldwide commodity of great value. However, over the past few decades, overfishing throughout their range has led to significant population reductions. In The Future of Bluefin Tunas, Barbara A. Block brings together renowned bluefin experts from 15 different countries to share the latest information on the science, fisheries policy, and management decisions related to each of the three species within the Thunnus group—Atlantic, Pacific, and Southern. Synthesizing basic and applied research, the book delves into every aspect of these majestic fish, from their life history and genetic makeup to their ecology and migrations. Ichthyologists and marine scientists dedicated to the study of these fishes report on the latest stock assessments, explore the results of advances such as biologging and DNA sampling, and assess the potential of bluefin tuna aquaculture. The Future of Bluefin Tunas provides critical research findings to inform decisions that will impact tunas and the ocean ecosystems they affect. Scientists, fisheries managers, policymakers, and marine conservationists will take away key data from this timely volume to help them ensure these remarkable fish continue in perpetuity.

Written as a stand-alone textbook for students and a useful reference for professionals in government and private agencies, academic institutions, and consultants, Ecology and Conservation of Fishes provides broad, comprehensive, and systematic coverage of all aquatic systems from the mountains to the oceans. The book begins with overview discussions on the ecology, evolution, and diversity of fishes. It moves on to address freshwater, estuarine, and marine ecosystems and identifies factors that affect the distribution and abundance of fishes. It then examines the adaptations of fishes as a response to constraints posed in ecosystems. The book concludes with four chapters on applied ecology to discuss the critical issues of management, conservation, biodiversity crises, and climate change. Major marine fisheries have collapsed, and there are worldwide declines in freshwater fish populations. Fishery scientists and managers must become more effective at understanding and dealing with resource issues. If not, fish species, communities, and entire ecosystems will continue to decline as habitats change and species are lost. Ecology and Conservation of Fishes has taken a historical and functional approach to explain how we got where we are, providing old and new with a better foundation as ecologists and conservationists, and most importantly, it awakens senses of purpose and need. Past management practices are reviewed, present programs considered, and the need for incorporating principles of applied ecology in future practices is emphasized.

Pike and related fish form an important part of aquatic ecosystems and are also commercially very valuable. This title provides full coverage of the biology, ecology and exploitation of this important group of fish and will be invaluable for fisheries scientists, fish biologists, aquatic scientists, ecologists and environmental scientists.

Referred to in the Bible, pictured on the wall-friezes of ancient Egyptian tombs, and a subject of fascination for generations of scientists, the tilapias (Cichlidae: Tilapiini) have featured in the diet and culture of humankind for thousands of years. The present century has seen their spread from Africa throughout the tropics and sub-tropics, largely for food and fisheries purposes. This book attempts to pull together our knowledge of this important group - their biology and fisheries and aquaculture - in a single volume, something that has not been done comprehensively for nearly two decades. A succession of chapters by acknowledged authorities covers evolution, phylogenetic relationships and biogeography, reproductive biology, mating systems and parental care, diet, feeding and digestive physiology, environmental physiology and energetics, the role of tilapias in ecosystems, population dynamics and management, genetics, seed production, nutrition, farming, economics and marketing. The book is aimed at biologists, fisheries scientists, aquaculturists, and all interested in aquatic ecology.