Gene Helfman

The second edition of The Diversity of Fishes represents a major revision of the world’s most widely adopted ichthyology textbook. Expanded and updated, the second edition is illustrated throughout with striking color photographs depicting the spectacular evolutionary adaptations of the most ecologically and taxonomically diverse vertebrate group. The text incorporates the latest advances in the biology of fishes, covering taxonomy, anatomy, physiology, biogeography, ecology, and behavior. A new chapter on genetics and molecular ecology of fishes has been added, and conservation is emphasized throughout. Hundreds of new and redrawn illustrations augment readable text, and every chapter has been revised to reflect the discoveries and greater understanding achieved during the past decade. Written by a team of internationally-recognized authorities, the first edition of The Diversity of Fishes was received with enthusiasm and praise, and incorporated into ichthyology and fish biology classes around the globe, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The second edition is a substantial update of an already classic reference and text. Companion resources site This book is accompanied by a resources The site is being constantly updated by the author team and · Related videos selected by the authors · Updates to the book since publication · Instructor resources · A chance to send in feedback

Time is running out for the iconic killer whales of the Pacific coast.Orca families have been decimated by humanity’s greed and folly, their food supply wiped out, their infants dying from starvation and tainted mother’s milk.Captive male orca Makai is destined for freedom, but a human-caused tragedy upends his world. Plotting revenge, acceptance into orca society, and reversal of his adopted family’s decline, his success hinges on fellow orcas, whale researchers, and a runaway teenager with Orca Clan roots. But Makai’s radical plan must first overcome millennia of orca cultural tradition.Profits from the sale of Beyond the Human Realm will be donated to orca conservation efforts.

Do sharks lay eggs or give birth to live young? Do sharks sleep? How long do they live? How likely are shark attacks? This book answers your questions about some of nature’s most misunderstood animals. Answering every conceivable question about sharks, authors Gene Helfman and George H. Burgess describe the fascinating biology, behavior, diversity (there are more than 1,000 species worldwide), and cultural importance of sharks, their close relationship to skates and rays, and their critical role in healthy ecosystems. Helfman and Burgess take readers on a round-the-world tour of shark habitats, which include oceans as well as lakes and even rivers (as far up the Mississippi as St. Louis). They describe huge, ferocious predators like (Great) White and Tiger sharks and species such as Basking and Whale sharks that feed on microscopic prey yet can grow to lengths of more than 40 feet. The mysterious and powerful Greenland shark, the authors explain, reaches a weight of 2,200 pounds on a diet of seal flesh. Small (less than 2-foot long) Cookiecutter sharks attack other sharks and even take a chunk out of the occasional swimmer. Despite our natural fascination with sharks, we have become their worst enemy. Many shark species are in serious decline and a number are threatened with extinction as a result of overfishing and persecution. The Animal Answer Guide presents a perfect mix of current science, history, anthropology, intriguing facts, and gripping photographs. Whether your fascination with sharks stems from fear or curiosity, your knowledge of these animals will improve immensely when you consult this book.

Pirates catch sharks in a marine reserve, lop off their fins, and discard the sharks for dead. A series of puzzling, apparently related shark attacks follows, suggesting that sentient, compassionate, maternal, and goal-oriented sharks are cooperating to exact more than revenge. The carnage escalates until a brilliant, beautiful, beleaguered forensic technician, in league with an African-American tech wizard, battle malevolent white guys. Risking probable death and certain dismemberment, the heroes discover the secret behind the attacks, revealing much more than was bargained for.Profits donated to shark conservation.

One fish, two fish, red fish, nearly thirty thousand species of fish―or fishes, as they are properly called when speaking of multiple species. This is but one of many things the authors of this fascinatingly informative book reveal in answering common and not-so-common questions about this ubiquitous group of animals. Fishes range in size from tiny gobies to the massive Ocean Sunfish, which weighs thousands of pounds. They live in just about every body of water on the planet. Ichthyologists Gene Helfman and Bruce Collette provide accurate, entertaining, and sometimes surprising answers to over 100 questions about these water dwellers, such as "How many kinds of fishes are there?" "Can fishes breathe air?" "How smart are fishes?" and "Do fishes feel pain?" They explain how bony fishes evolved, the relationship between them and sharks, and why there is so much color variation among species. Along the way we also learn about the Devils Hole Pupfish, which has the smallest range of any vertebrate in the world; Lota lota , the only freshwater fish to spawn under ice; the Candiru, a pencil-thin Amazonian catfish that lodges itself in a very personal place on male bathers and must be removed surgically; and many other curiosities. With more than 100 photographs―including two full-color photo galleries―and the most up-to-date facts on the world's fishes from two premier experts, this fun book is the perfect bait for any curious naturalist, angler, or aquarist.

Fish Conservation offers, for the first time in a single volume, a readable reference with a global approach to marine and freshwater fish diversity and fishery resource issues. Gene Helfman brings together available knowledge on the decline and restoration of freshwater and marine fishes, providing ecologically sound answers to biodiversity declines as well as to fishery management problems at the subsistence, recreational, and commercial levels. Written in an engaging and accessible style, the book:considers the value of preserving aquatic biodiversityoffers an overview of imperiled fishes on a taxonomic and geographic basispresents a synthesis of common characteristics of imperiled fishes and their habitatsdetails anthropogenic causes of declineexamines human exploitation issuesaddresses ethical questions surrounding exploitation of fishesThe final chapter integrates topics and evaluates prospects for arresting declines, emphasizing the application of evolutionary and ecological principles in light of projected trends. Throughout, Helfman provides examples, explores case studies, and synthesizes available information from a broad taxonomic, habitat, and geographic range.Fish Conservation summarizes the current state of knowledge about the degradation and restoration of diversity among fishes and the productivity of fishery resources, pointing out areas where progress has been made and where more needs to be done. Solutions focus on the application of ecological knowledge to solving practical problems, recognizing that effective biodiversity conservation depends on meeting human needs through management that focuses on long term sustainability and an ecosystem perspective.

Time is running out for the iconic killer whales of the Pacific coast. Orca families have been decimated by humanity's greed and folly, their food supply wiped out, their infants dying from starvation and tainted mother's milk. Captive male orca Makai is destined for freedom, but a human-caused tragedy upends his world. Plotting revenge, acceptance into orca society, and reversal of his adopted family's decline, his success hinges on fellow orcas, whale researchers, and a runaway teenager with Orca Clan roots. But Makai's radical plan must first overcome millennia of orca cultural tradition. Profits from the sale of Beyond the Human Realm will be donated to orca conservation efforts.

Can a killer whale raised in captivity be released into the wild and accepted into orca society?Only if she wants to. When two Indigenous teenagers with orca-clan roots are enlisted in an effort to repatriate an orca named Marina with her wild relatives, they find opposition from the most unexpected source. The project appears hopeless until the teens discover a shared, inherited ability to communicate with whales.Despite Marina’s intransigence, the teens—helped by Marina’s biological family and two orca researchers—convince her to decide between captivity and freedom.Marina chooses freedom, and the real trouble begins.