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PNW
Fish ID Reference Books
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Copyright
2003 Wesley E. Nicholson
Developing
good fish watching skills and identifying mystery fish requires a good
set of reference materials. The following discussion provides a list of
some of the available reference materials that are applicable to the PNW.
The references have been assigned to categories based on how useful they
are for underwater fish identification. Brief reviews are provided for
most of the references to help you decide if you would like to look at
or buy the books.
Some
of the books are new while others are out of print. Some new and used
books can be found at Amazon.com. Abebooks.com is a great place to find
out of print books and can give you all sorts of leads to used bookstores.
And, of course, there are always libraries.
We
bring many of these books with us to the quarterly Fish Watchers dives.
KEY
ID GUIDES
Books
you should have for fish watching in the PNW. Of
these, we recommend that you get the books by Humann and by Lamb and Edgell
first, the book by Kramer et al. second and the book by Eschmeyer
et al. last. But do get them all! We use all four of these references
to learn our fishes and frequently use two or more to confirm fish identifications.
Eschmeyer,
William N., and Earl S. Herald. 1983. A Field Guide
To Pacific Coast Fishes - North America. Illustrations by Howard
Hammann. The Peterson Field Guide Series. Houghton Mifflin Company. Boston,
MA. 336 pages.
- Covers
most if not all of the fishes you may see
- Provides
information on range and habitat by species
- Points
out key ID features
- Uses
colored diagrams and does not have any photos
- Has
fish that you will not see in the PNW
Humann,
Paul. 1996. Coastal Fish Identification - California
To Alaska. With Photographers Howard Hall And Neil McDaniel. New
World Publications. Jacksonville, Fl. 205p.
- Developed
by a diver for divers
- Good
descriptions of the fish
- Nice
color photos
- Points
out key ID features that divers can readily observe
- Provides
information on range, habitat, abundance and behavior
- Does
not have all of the fish you will see in the PNW, including some fairly
common ones
- Has
fish that you will not see in the PNW
Kramer,
Donald E., William H. Barss, Brian C. Paust, and Barry E. Bracken. 1995.
Guide To Northeast Pacific Flatfishes. Alaska
Sea Grant College Program, University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Marine Advisory
Bulletin No. 47. 104p.
- Addresses
all of the flatfish that you may see
- Good
descriptions of the fish
- Has
very good diagrams which point out identification features
- Provides
information on range, habitat and abundance
- Pictures
are of dead fish which have largely lost identifying coloration
- Focus
is more for fishermen and marine scientists and descriptions include
features that a diver will not be able to observe
- Has
fish that you will not see
Lamb,
Andy, and Phil Edgell. 1986. Coastal Fishes Of The
Pacific Northwest. Harbour Publishing Co. Ltd., Madeira Park, BC,
Canada. 224p.
- Focused
on fishes of the PNW and includes most that you may see
- Has
a combination of colored photos and black and white diagrams for each
fish
- Points
out key ID features on the diagrams.
- Provides
tips for sports fishermen, divers, commercial fishermen and beachcombers
or dock biologists.
- Has
amusing comments on cooking and eating each species
- Individual
photos are small and sometimes indistinct
- Some
information on range, habitat, and behavior is given, but is buried
in text and hard to find.
OTHER
ID GUIDES
These
books are nice to have, especially if you love books. They are valuable
for both learning fish identification and looking up mystery fish because
they provide additional pictures and/or descriptions. At times, it takes
a different view or some additional information on factors such as range,
size, habitat, and behavior to help you confirm a tentative identification.
Alden,
Peter, Amy Gregoret, Richard Keen, Daniel Mathews, Eric A. Oches, Dennis
Paulson, Robert Sundstrom, and Wendy B. Zomlefer. 1998. National
Audubon Society Field Guide To the Pacific Northwest. Alfred A.
Knopf, Inc., New York. 448p.
- Nice
color photos, although photos are small and do not always show key ID
features
- Has
pictures of some fish not included elsewhere - e.g. striped bass
- Brief
descriptions of each included species, including some information on
range, habitat and behavior
- Small
section on marine fish with relatively few species represented.
Gotshall,
Daniel W. 1989. Pacific Coast Inshore Fishes.
Third Edition (Revised). Sea Challengers, Inc., Monterey CA (Printed by
Global Inter Print Hong Kong). 96p.
- A
very good book to have and the fifth book that we would buy if we were
starting from scratch.
- Book
developed for fish watchers
- Pictorial
key to fish families to help you focus in on mystery fish
- Nice
color photos
- Information
on key identification features
- Some
information on size, range and habitat
- Includes
species you will not see in the PNW
- Photos
do not always show the key ID features
Harbo,
Rick M. 1980. Tidepool and Reef: Marinelife Guide
to the Pacific Northwest Coast. Hancock House Publishers. Blaine,
WA. 55 pages.
-
Very small guide to seashore and shallow waters
- Very
limited section on fishes
- Color
photographs that vary in quality
- Extremely
brief descriptions of each fish
Harbo,
Rick M. 1999. Whelks to Whales - A Field Guide Of
The Coastal Marine Life Of The Pacific Northwest. Harbour Publishing
Co. Ltd., Madeira Park, BC, Canada. 245p.
- Small
section on fishes
- Nice
color photos although many are on the small side and do not show the
fish well
- Brief
descriptions - not always focused on key ID features divers can see
under water
- Some
information on size, range, and habitat
- Some
information on natural history
Hart,
J.L. 1973. Pacific Fishes of Canada. Fisheries
Research Board Of Canada - Bulletin 180, Department Of The Environment.
Ottawa, Canada. 740p.
- A
definitive reference work for fishes of the west coast.
- Covers
all known species as of 1973
- Descriptions
of each fish with identification tips - but tips not always useful to
divers
- Keys
for identifying fish - but often based on features not useful to divers
- Drawings
of most if not all species
- No
photos
- Written
for the scientific community
- A
lot of text to wade through for ID tidbits
- Some
of the classifications (Genus species) are outdated
Kramer,
E. and V. O'Connell. 1995. Guide to Northeast Pacific
Rockfishes: Genera Sebastes And Sebastolobus. Alaska Sea Grant
Program, University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Marine Advisory Bulletin No.
25. 78 p.
- Written
primarily for fishermen and fishing industry, also useful to divers
- Provides
a color picture of each fish - but fish are all dead and the coloration
of many has faded or changed from what you see underwater reducing the
value of the photos
- Provides
detailed black and white diagram showing key identification features
- very easy to understand
- Provides
a brief description and information on range, size, habitat, and similar
looking species
- Includes
all of the rockfish found off of Alaska and British Columbia
- Does
include ID features that are not useful to divers
- Includes
some fish you won't see because they are deep water fish
- May
not include all of the fish you may see in Washington and Oregon
Love,
Milton S., Mary Yoklavich and Lyman Thorsteinson. 2002. The
Rockfishes Of The Northeast Pacific. Universtiy of California Press.
Berkeley, Los Angeles, and London. California. 390p.
- A
comprehensive work covering rockfishes from the Bering Sea to Mexico.
- Developed
for the scientific and marine biology education communities
- Has
a section covering the biology of rockfishes - more than you ever wanted
to know or dreamed existed
- Has
a pictorial key based on a combination of factors useful to divers and
factors that aren't Diagrams used in the key are in black and white
and are fairly basic but useful.
- Thorough
description of each species with information on size range, life history
and scientific and common names
- Generally
has multiple good pictures of each species with pictures taken to help
show ID features
- Pictures
of various stages of development for some species
- Easy
and enjoyable to read
- Sold
at a great price
- Has
fish that you will not see while diving in PNW waters
Love,
Milton. 1996. Probably More Than You Want To Know
About Fishes Of The Pacific Coast. (2nd edition) A Humorous Guide
to Pacific Fishes, Really Big Press, Santa Barbara, CA. 381p.
- Guide
to a representative group of the fishes commonly seen by divers and
fishermen
- Description
of each species with information on size, range and habitat
- Some
identification hints are useful to divers others are not
- Fairly
basic black and white diagrams of each species, with some key ID features
highlighted
- Written
with a combination of humor and sarcasm that is fun (says Janna. Wes
thinks it gets old)
- Color
photos
- Does
not have all the fish you will see
- Covers
fish that you will not see
McLachlan,
Dan, Ayres, Jak. 1979. Fieldbook of Pacific Northwest
Sea Creatures. Naturegraph Publishers, Inc. Happy Camp, CA. 208
pages.
-
Older book that is now out of print but copies can still be found
-
Color photographs that are poor in quality
-
Only one chapter devoted to fishes
-
Descriptions are short but somewhat informative
Orr,
J.W., M. A. Brown, and D. C. Baker. 2000. Guide
To Rockfishes (Scorpaenidae) of the Genera Sebastes, Sebastolobus, and
Adelosebastes of the Northeast Pacific Ocean. Second Edition. U.S.
Dep. Commer., NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-AFSC-117. 47 p.
- Field
guide to the rockfishes
- Has
a key to rockfish, based on color, head spines and similarities in appearance
- Provides
species descriptions for 71 spcecies
- Most
of the descriptions provide a color picture, a brief summary of appearance,
information on size and depth range
- Each
description includes a set of Count Data used by scientists in identifying
rockfishes, e.g. number of annal fin rays.
- Has
some additional color photos of fish taken underwater
- Most
descriptions use pictures of dead fish
- Includes
fish you won't see because of range or depth
Sept,
J. Duane. 1999. The Beachcomber's Guide To Seashore
Life In The Pacific Northwest. Harbour Publishing Co. Ltd., Madeira
Park, BC, Canada.235p.
- Very
limited section on fishes found in tidepools
- Color
photos from above of fish out of water - limited value in identification
- Some
descriptive material, including information on size, habitat and range
Sheldon,
Ian. 1998. Seashore of the Pacific Northwest.
Lone Pine Publishing. Renton Washington. 191 pages.
- Very
limited section on fishes found in tidepools or shallower waters
- Color
drawings, no photographs
- Good
descriptions and information about each fish
Somerton,
David, and Craig Murray. 1976. Field Guide To The
Fish Of Puget Sound And The Northwest Coast. University of Washington
Press. Seattle. 70p.
- Developed
to help divers recognize fish underwater
- Directly
applies to the Puget Sound and the coast of Washington, but most of
material has broader application throughout PNW
- Only
addresses fishes that are likely to be seen by divers
- Very
brief descriptions of each species, focusing on ID hints
- Uses
nice black and white diagrams showing details of color patterns and
key ID features
- Published
on waterproof paper
- No
photos
NATURAL
HISTORY REFERENCES
These
books are focused on the natural history of marine ecosystems. Plants
and animals are described as they fit into their environment. Each book
provides pictures and information on some fish. The information generally
does not provide useful ID tips.
Carl,
G. Clifford. 1966. Guide To Marine Life Of British
Columbia. Illustrations by Frank L. Beebe. British Columbia Provincial
Museum. Handbook 21. Victoria, BC. 135p.
- Very
limited section on fishes
- High
quality black and white illustrations
- Brief
descriptions with a focus on natural history, some information on size
and habitat
Snyderman, Marty. 1998. California Marine Life -
A Guide To Common Marine Species. Roberts Rinehart Publishers in
Cooperation with Monterey Bay Aquarium. Lanham, MD. 180p.
- Includes
information on and color pictures of some fishes that are found in the
PNW
- Nice
overview on taxonomic classification of plants and animals
SCIENTIFIC REFERENCE MATERIALS:
Hart,
J.L. 1973. Pacific Fishes of Canada. Fisheries
Research Board Of Canada - Bulletin 180, Department Of The Environment.
Ottawa, Canada. 740p.
- See
discussion of this book under Other ID Guides
Love,
Milton S., Mary Yoklavich and Lyman Thorsteinson. 2002. The
Rockfishes Of The Northeast Pacific. Universtiy of California Press.
Berkeley, Los Angeles, and London. California. 390p.
- See
discussion of this book under Other ID Guides
Robins,
C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and
W.B.Scott. 1991. Common and Scientific Names of
Fishes from the United States and Canada. 5th edition. Special
Publication 20. Committee on Names of Fishes, American Fisheries Society,
Bethesda, Maryland. 183 p.
- Scientific
reference for both currently accepted scientific classifications and
scientific names
- Reference
for the American Fisheries Society approved common names for each species
- Reference
for occurrence of each species: Atlantic, Pacific, Freshwater, Introduced
and Extinct
- Covers
all know species from the freshwaters of the continental US and Canada
and marine species inhabiting contiguous shore waters of the continental
shelf to a depth of 656 feet.
- 1991
edition is pretty old at this point and a new edition should be coming
out soon.
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