Fish ID book

[CrayolaViolence]

I have bought a few books but they are very limited and always having to turn to google is tedious plus I like to have stuff like this in hand so I can study and read it on a whim.

I am looking for one or two books all inclusive, that have pictures and basic stats of saltwater aquarium fish, even fish rarely found in the aquarium. Like I said, I have books that ID fish in certain regions but most of them are grossly lacking and they are also limited in information as it's more about the fish's environment rather than the fishes compatibility with a reef and other fish.

Does anyone know of a book or chart or something. I know there has to be something out there with both scientific names and common names, but it seems to be scarce or severely out of date (what I can find).

Thanks

 

[OrionN]

There isn't such a thing.
The closest you find is the PocketExpert Guide:
Reef Aquarium Fishes 500+ Essential-to-know species by Scott W. Michael. Essential book for new reefers to have at the fish store.
Other than that your computer. It is sooooo easy these day with the computer.

 

[twon8]

Kuiters wrasses book is a good place to start for wrasses.


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[SoloChromis]

'Coral Reef Fishes : Indo-Pacific & Caribbean', it's on Amazon for about $18 and has been one of the best book purchases I've ever made, especially for identifying fish.

 

[CrayolaViolence]

There isn't such a thing.
The closest you find is the PocketExpert Guide:
Reef Aquarium Fishes 500+ Essential-to-know species by Scott W. Michael. Essential book for new reefers to have at the fish store.
Other than that your computer. It is sooooo easy these day with the computer.

Actually that helps a lot. I had not seen this book.

 

[CrayolaViolence]

And yeah, I know that the internet is easy, but I learn better with a book in hand and this is something I want to be able to memorize.
Plus, I don't always have internet access.

 

[OrionN]

Actually that helps a lot. I had not seen this book.

It is something that a new reefer should have with him when he is going to the fishstore with the intention to buy a fish. It is rare that you encounter a fish in the LFS not included in this book. It have everything you need to know to decide if it will do well in your tank. Scott Michael is a really good author also. I had an old edition, but also get a new latest edition just to support the publisher and Scott Michael

 

[snorvich]

Dr. Burgess's Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes

 

[nereefpat]

It is something that a new reefer should have with him when he is going to the fishstore with the intention to buy a fish. It is rare that you encounter a fish in the LFS not included in this book. It have everything you need to know to decide if it will do well in your tank. Scott Michael is a really good author also. I had an old edition, but also get a new latest edition just to support the publisher and Scott Michael

He also has several books in his reef fishes anthology: angels and butterflies, clowns and damsels, wrasses and parrotfish, dottyback, and even an old but good sharks and rays book

 

[Dmorty217]

Dr. Burgess's Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes

+1. No book is a all inclusive, you will still have to turn to google for some

 

[JCDelbeek]

I have bought a few books but they are very limited and always having to turn to google is tedious plus I like to have stuff like this in hand so I can study and read it on a whim.

I am looking for one or two books all inclusive, that have pictures and basic stats of saltwater aquarium fish, even fish rarely found in the aquarium. Like I said, I have books that ID fish in certain regions but most of them are grossly lacking and they are also limited in information as it's more about the fish's environment rather than the fishes compatibility with a reef and other fish.

Does anyone know of a book or chart or something. I know there has to be something out there with both scientific names and common names, but it seems to be scarce or severely out of date (what I can find).

Thanks

For Indo-Pacific fishes hard to beat Reef Fish Identification Tropical Pacific 2nd Edition by Humann, DeLoach, Allen and Steene. Extensive, accurate, affordable ($40), and pocketable. Humann's Caribbean/Atlantic book is also very good.

I would not go with Burgess's Atlas and while it is extensive it is old, very inaccurate in terms of names, and a bulky book.

There are several books that are family specific as well that are excellent such as the series by John Randall (Indo-Pacific, Hawaiian), several books by Debelius, Kuiter's series, and Scott Michael's series, but if you are looking for one book that covers everything (Indian Ocean/Pacific/Atlantic) extensively and accurately, as already mentioned in the thread ... you won't find it.

 

[OrionN]

For some of the species there is not a whole lot out there. For example Regal Angels. There isn't anything out there that give better informations than the Regal Primer thread here at RC.

Believe it or not, if you know who to listen to, some of the information here on RC is the best there is

 

[ginpang]

Fish ID book

Dr. Burgess's Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes

Yes , and Beansch marine atlas vol 1 through 7! Though I believe 4- 7 are only available in German.[emoji38]

 

[Deinonych]

For Indo-Pacific fishes hard to beat Reef Fish Identification Tropical Pacific 2nd Edition by Humann, DeLoach, Allen and Steene. Extensive, accurate, affordable ($40), and pocketable. Humann's Caribbean/Atlantic book is also very good.

+1

I have both the Indo-Pacific and Caribbean/Atlantic volumes and they are fabulous. The Indo-Pacific volume was just updated about a year ago.

 

[ca1ore]

Kuiter's series is good, though Scott Michael's series is my favorite. Sadly, a number of volumes remain unpublished.

 

[ThRoewer]

Dr. Burgess's Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes

+1 but with a good spoon full of salt as it has quite a few errors and is by now also quite a bit outdated.
It's still the most comprehensive fish reference book even if somewhat disorganized. Also, i don't think Latimeria really qualifies as an aquarium fish.

In general monographic books on one family of fish are more precise.

Some I have (and can remember without having the bookshelf nearby) are:

Allen and Fautin: Anemonefish and their Host Sea Anemones

Allen: Damselfishes of the World

Allen and Sterne: Angel and Butterflyfish

Kuiter: Seahorses, Pipefishes and Their Relatives: A Comprehensive Guide to Syngnathiformes
(This one is a must for everyone seriously interested in Seahorses and/or Pipefish)

...

Then there are those books that cover all the fish of a certain region.

One I have is about the Sea of Cortez.

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[BigBlueTang]

Angelfishes of the World by Kiyoshi Endoh is a very good source for angels, however it is a bit outdated with the how to care for angels section.