Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes of Virginia

by Paul E. Bugas Jr., Corbin D. Hilling, Valerie A. Kells, Michael J. Pinder, Derek A. Wheaton

Overview

A beautifully illustrated guide to the diverse and numerous freshwater fish species in Virginia.

In Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes of Virginia, the foremost experts on Commonwealth fishes bring their decades of field experience to readers, offering a complete reference to the fishes of the entire state of Virginia. Gathering information that until now could only be found scattered across numerous reference works and online databases, this book provides everything you need to know to identify fish families and species in the Virginia region.

Covering how to collect, handle, observe, conserve, and protect these unique fishes, the book's key features include

• more than 175 vibrant, full-color illustrations, set side by side with descriptions of each fish
• helpful line drawings that depict the most reliable diagnostic characteristics for field identifications (e.g., snout shape, pigment patterns, mouth morphology)
• descriptions of Virginia's freshwater habitats
• examples of incredible fish spawning and feeding behavior
• tips on observing fish in the wild and in captivity
• a chapter on the taxonomy of family and common names of the fish species most common throughout Virginia
• up-to-date fish distribution maps
• a complete glossary of terms

Providing a fascinating foray into the wonders of the Commonwealth's swimmers, Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes of Virginia will appeal to scientists, naturalists, teachers, native fish aquarists, students, anglers, and fish collectors.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781421433059
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	09/24/2019
Pages:	200
Sales rank:	609,734
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Paul E. Bugas, Jr., is a fisheries manager with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Corbin D. Hilling is a graduate student at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Val Kells (KILL DEVIL HILLS, NC) is an award-winning marine science illustrator. She is the coauthor and illustrator of A Field Guide to Coastal Fishes: From Maine to Texas and A Field Guide to Coastal Fishes: From Alaska to California.

Michael J. Pinder is an aquatic biologist with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

Derek A. Wheaton is a hatchery tech for Conservation Fisheries, Inc.

Donald J. Orth is the Thomas H. Jones Professor in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Val Kells (KILL DEVIL HILLS, NC) is an award-winning marine science illustrator. She is the coauthor and illustrator of A Field Guide to Coastal Fishes: From Maine to Texas and A Field Guide to Coastal Fishes: From Alaska to California.

Joseph R. Tomelleri’s illustrations have appeared in more than 350 publications, including books, magazines, advertisements, newspapers, and identification guides.

Table of Contents

Acknowlegments
Introduction
How to Use This Guide
Virginia's Freshwater Fishes
Fish Watching, Photographing, and Keeping
Management and Conservation
Fish Anatomy
Key to Families
Species Accounts
Glossary
Select Bibliography
Scientific Name Index
Common Name Index
Credits
About the Authors

What People are Saying About This

Wayne C. Starnes

"An extraordinarily useful and beautifully illustrated field guide to the rich and diverse fish fauna that inhabit Virginia's streams, rivers, and lakes. A valuable contribution that, by putting more enlightened eyes in the field, will doubtless facilitate building knowledge of Virginia's fishes going forward while keeping abreast of their dynamic nature."

From the Publisher

An extraordinarily useful and beautifully illustrated field guide to the rich and diverse fish fauna that inhabit Virginia's streams, rivers, and lakes. A valuable contribution that, by putting more enlightened eyes in the field, will doubtless facilitate building knowledge of Virginia's fishes going forward while keeping abreast of their dynamic nature.
—Wayne C. Starnes, former Curator of Fishes, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

This beautiful and succinct book has some of the best illustrations out there right now. Strongly recommended. All federal biologists and academics in aquatic sciences should buy a copy.
—Brooks M. Burr, Emeritus Professor, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale

Brooks M. Burr

"This beautiful and succinct book has some of the best illustrations out there right now. Strongly recommended. All federal biologists and academics in aquatic sciences should buy a copy."

Editorial Reviews

The Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes of Virginia is one of the best fish field guides I've encountered. It covers all the fish in detail, but is small enough to easily fit in a pack or carry-on bag. The illustrations are beautiful and the text focuses on information most helpful for field identification.
—Matthew L. Miller, The Nature Conservancy, Cool Green Science

The new Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes of Virginia takes on the daunting challenge of covering the 226 species of freshwater fishes found in the state in the abbreviated format of a true field guide. The authors succeed in this task, producing a book that is both informative and portable. The book's format makes it useful to a wide range of potential users, including fishers, professional biologists, and those interested in keeping native species in aquaria . . . I highly recommend the book.
—Bruce W. Stallsmith, Fisheries

From the Publisher

The new Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes of Virginia takes on the daunting challenge of covering the 226 species of freshwater fishes found in the state in the abbreviated format of a true field guide. The authors succeed in this task, producing a book that is both informative and portable. The book's format makes it useful to a wide range of potential users, including fishers, professional biologists, and those interested in keeping native species in aquaria . . . I highly recommend the book.

Fisheries - Bruce W. Stallsmith

The Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes of Virginia is one of the best fish field guides I've encountered. It covers all the fish in detail, but is small enough to easily fit in a pack or carry-on bag. The illustrations are beautiful and the text focuses on information most helpful for field identification.

Cool Green Science - Matthew L. Miller