Fish Behavior in the Aquarium and in the Wild

by Stephan Reebs

Overview

A home aquarium seems a peaceful place. Gazing at its inhabitants as they swim slowly through their small universe is a soothing, even hypnotic, experience. But this seeming tranquillity is only surface deep. Like their wild counterparts, these tiny, glittering beings exhibit a wide array of fascinating behaviors.

Stéphan Reebs provides a delightfully entertaining, yet scientifically grounded, look at what fishes do and how they do it. From defending their young, to seeking out the perfect sexual partner, to telling time, fishes display a variety of behaviors that may not be readily apparent to the casual observer. Reebs not only describes the behaviors, but also outlines simple experiments that can be performed by observers wishing to learn for themselves just how resourceful—and bizarre—these creatures can be.

Fish Behavior in the Aquarium and in the Wild introduces us to damselfishes that sing like birds, elephantfishes that communicate electrically, and sticklebacks that deceive other fish into believing they have found food. Drawing on the experimental evidence behind such intrinsically interesting responses, Reebs demonstrates how science is conducted in the field of animal behavior.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780801439155
Publisher:	Cornell University Press
Publication date:	10/02/2001
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 7.50(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Stéphan Reebs is Professor of Biology at the University of Moncton, Canada. He has published numerous articles on animal behavior.

What People are Saying About This

George W. Barlow

"Fish Behavior is a charming book about the ways fishes perceive the world around them and make use of that information. Stephan Reebs has an impressive command of the relevant literature. His selection of topics is unique while still covering most of the major issues in fish behavior. Especially strong is his treatment of predator-prey relationships, which comes up repeatedly within different topics. Stephan Reebs writes in a clear style and does so with a light touch. Fish Behavior will engage and enlighten the reader with an interest in the natural history of animals."

Dr. Wayne S. Leibel

"A lucid, riveting, and provocative introdu ction to fish behavior. Aquarists will never watch their fish in quite the same way again after reading this book."

William Rowland

Reebs provides a nice sampling of the many fascinating aspects of fish behavior and describes the experimental methods scientists use to study this topic. He writes in a style accessible to students and non-scientists, yet provides many recent references for those who wish to delve into the primary literature.

Editorial Reviews

'A book written for hobbyists that is also useful for professionals.' Well, yes, this might be one: written by an ethnologist to popularize facts from the scientific literature.

Fisheries

The acoustic world of fishes, their sense of touch at a distance and the ability of some to interpret and exploit electric and geo-magnetic fields will be unfamiliar to many, but no longer to anyone with access to this book... Many reading Reebs's book will be struck by the parallels between the behavior of fish and those of 'higher' organisms such as birds and mammals. Fish Behavior is a fine and well-referenced book; it teaches us to look at our fellow vertebrates with a new respect.

Times Literary Supplement - Richard Shelton

Another top book for inquisitive anglers. Reebs is a professor of biology at the Universite de Moncton, Canada, and an avid fish collector, experimenter, and aquarium hobbyist. Through Reebs describes the sensory systems of fish, he dwells primarily on social aspects of fish behavior, including their learning abilities, feeding behavior, and spawning. Though directed to a broad audience of fish fans, this book hold many insights into understanding game fish.

In-Fisherman - Steve Quinn

"This attractive little book was written by Reebs primarily for the benefit of aquarium owners and other fish fanciers.... Reebs, through his superb writing ability and clever illustrations, has done an outstanding job."

Choice

"Reebs provides a nice sampling of the many fascinating aspects of fish behavior and describes the experimental methods scientists use to study this topic. He writes in a style accessible to students and non-scientists, yet provides many recent references for those who wish to delve into the primary literature."

William Rowland

"Fish Behavior is a charming book about the ways fishes perceive the world around them and make use of that information. Stephan Reebs has an impressive command of the relevant literature. His selection of topics is unique while still covering most of the major issues in fish behavior. Especially strong is his treatment of predator-prey relationships, which comes up repeatedly within different topics. Stephan Reebs writes in a clear style and does so with a light touch. Fish Behavior will engage and enlighten the reader with an interest in the natural history of animals."

George W. Barlow

"A lucid, riveting, and provocative introdu ction to fish behavior. Aquarists will never watch their fish in quite the same way again after reading this book."

Dr. Wayne S. Leibel

"Stephan Reebs provides a delightful, brief, and accessible answer to any who may doubt the complexity and sophistication of the behavior of fishes.... I found the book thoroughly enjoyable and highly educational. I imagine it will appeal to both aquarists and academicians and to anyone else captivated by the behavior of our aquatic relatives. Reebs does an excellent job of describing the academic research that has generated our current knowledge and does so with an infectious sense of wonder at the remarkable behavior of fishes."

Copeia - Tamra C. Mendelson

"Although serious and scientific in tone, the book is written in a way that even high school students working on a science project could understand. Reebs also describes some experiments that could be replicated in a home aquarium. . . Recommended for all public libraries as well as high school and college libraries where there is interest in behavioral ecology or fishes."—Library Journal, November 2001

"A book written for hobbyists that is also useful for professionals' Well, yes, this might be one: written by an ethnologist to popularize facts from the scientific literature."—Fisheries, November 2001

"The acoustic world of fishes, their sense of touch at a distance and the ability of some to interpret and exploit electric and geo-magnetic fields will be unfamiliar to many, but no longer to anyone with access to this book. . . Many reading Reebs's book will be struck by the parallels between the behavior of fish and those of 'higher' organisms such as birds and mammals. Fish Behavior is a fine and well-referenced book; it teaches us to look at our fellow vertebrates with a new respect."—Richard Shelton, Times Literary Supplement, April 19, 2002

"This attractive little book was written by Reebs primarily for the benefit of aquarium owners and other fish fanciers. . . Reebs, through his superb writing ability and clever illustrations, has done an outstanding job."—Choice, April 2002

"Stephan Reebs provides a delightful, brief, and accessible answer to any who may doubt the complexity and sophistication of the behavior of fishes. . . . I found the book thoroughly enjoyable and highly educational. I imagine it will appeal to both aquarists and academicians and to anyone else captivated by the behavior of our aquatic relatives. Reebs does an excellent job of describing the academic research that has generated our current knowledge and does so with an infectious sense of wonder at the remarkable behavior of fishes."—Tamra C. Mendelson, University of Maryland. Copeia, May 2002, No. 2

"Another top book for inquisitive anglers. Reebs is a professor of biology at the Universite de Moncton, Canada, and an avid fish collector, experimenter, and aquarium hobbyist. Through Reebs describes the sensory systems of fish, he dwells primarily on social aspects of fish behavior, including their learning abilities, feeding behavior, and spawning. Though directed to a broad audience of fish fans, this book hold many insights into understanding game fish."—Steve Quinn, In-Fisherman, February 2003

"A lucid, riveting, and provocative introdu ction to fish behavior. Aquarists will never watch their fish in quite the same way again after reading this book."—Dr. Wayne S. Leibel, Fellow and Past Chair, American Cichlid Association

"Reebs provides a nice sampling of the many fascinating aspects of fish behavior and describes the experimental methods scientists use to study this topic. He writes in a style accessible to students and non-scientists, yet provides many recent references for those who wish to delve into the primary literature."—William Rowland, Professor of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington

"Fish Behavior is a charming book about the ways fishes perceive the world around them and make use of that information. Stephan Reebs has an impressive command of the relevant literature. His selection of topics is unique while still covering most of the major issues in fish behavior. Especially strong is his treatment of predator-prey relationships, which comes up repeatedly within different topics. Stephan Reebs writes in a clear style and does so with a light touch. Fish Behavior will engage and enlighten the reader with an interest in the natural history of animals."—George W. Barlow, Professor, University of California, Berkeley

From the Publisher