This book is about the behaviour of teleosts, a well-defined, highly successful, taxonomic group of vertebrate animals sharing a common body plan and forming the vast majority of living bony fishes. There are weH over 22000 living species of teleosts, including nearly all those of importance in com mercial fisheries and aquaculture. Teleosts are represented injust about every conceivable aquatic environment from temporary desert pools to the deep ocean, from soda lakes to sub-zero Antarctic waters. Behaviour is the primary interface between these effective survival machines and their environment: behavioural plasticity is one of the keys to their success. The study of animal behaviour has undergone revolutionary changes in the past decade under the dual impact of behavioural ecology and sociobiology. The modern body of theory provides quantitatively testable and experi mentaHy accessible hypotheses. Much current work in animal behaviour has concentrated on birds and mammals, animals with ostensibly more complex structure, physiology and behavioural capacity, but there is a growing body of information about the behaviour of fishes. There is now increasing awareness that the same ecological and evolutionary rules govern teleost fish, and that their behaviour is not just a simplified version of that seen in birds and mammals. The details of fish behaviour intimately reflect unique and efficient adaptations to their three-dimensional aquatic environment.

This is the second edition of an extremely important and well received book. The editor has brought together an international team of experts in the subject, producing a book which contains vital information on major aspects of this important subject. It should appear on the shelves of animal behaviourists, fish biologists and fisheries scientists.

The differing behaviours of bony fishes are described in this guide to the most abundant vertebrate found on the planet. Their behaviour and research done on it, have encouraged the proposal to adopt new approaches and new directions in studying them.

Teleost (bony) fishes are found in all types of aquatic environment and are extremely diverse behaviorally. Their evolutionary success is partly due to their striking behavioral plasticity; as such they are also extremely useful organisms for the study of mechanistic and functional models of behavior. Considerable progress has been made over the past decade in understanding how behavior, ecology, and genetics interact to determine individual survival and reproductive success in fishes, and thus the evolution of their behavior. Behavioural Ecology of Teleost Fishes reviews the latest advances in behavioral adaptations for survival and reproduction in fishes, and proposes new directions and approaches for future research. The book focuses on habitat selection and space use, foraging, predator avoidance and evasion, and reproduction. It also considers how the behaviour of individuals affects ecological processes at population and community levels. The book benefits students, teachers, and researchers interested in the behavior and ecology of fishes, as well as those with a general interest in behavioral ecology. It is also a valuable reference source for biologists, aquaculturists, and conservationists.

The study of animal cognition has been largely confined to birds and mammals; a historical bias which has led to the belief that learning plays little or no part in the development of behaviour in fishes and reptiles. Research in recent decades has begun to redress this misconception and it is now recognised that fishes exhibit a rich array of sophisticated behaviour with impressive learning capabilities entirely comparable with those of mammals and other terrestrial animals. In this fascinating book an international team of experts have been brought together to explore all major areas of fish learning, including: foraging skills Predator recognition Social organisation and learning Welfare and pain Fish Cognition and Behavior is an important contribution to all fish biologists and ethologists and contains much information of commercial importance for fisheries managers and aquaculture personnel. Libraries in universities and research establishments will find it an important addition to their shelves.

The Behavior of Fish and Other Aquatic Animals ...