tanghappy
06-06-2004, 07:09 PM
I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in chichlids, ecology, or evolution theory. I found this book to be a fairly easy read (despite being largely about biology / science).
Talking about cichlids in general, Barlow spends a lot of time discussing the speciation of the African rift lakes and how this may have come about. Including discussion of many of the various specializations found in chichlids.
For the aquarium hobbiest - especially someone new to cichlids, it has a lot of discussion of cichlid behavior - based on laboratory studies and natural observation of cichlids. This includes how they select mates, how they signal aggression (and evantually fight if neither fish signals submission), how parents can signal to their fry, etc.
Also discussed in detail is how various family organizations in cichlids possibly evolved. Including maternal mouthbrooding, bi-parental mouthbrooding, monogamous substrate spawners, harem spawners, etc. It's in this area of discussion that the text could be somewhat controversial depending on religious views. However, it does provide simple and understandable theories based on "darwinian fitness".
Anyway, I'm posting this in the education forum as I'm not sure where else it would go. "The Cichlid Fishes" is the best (and most educational) fish book I've read.
Talking about cichlids in general, Barlow spends a lot of time discussing the speciation of the African rift lakes and how this may have come about. Including discussion of many of the various specializations found in chichlids.
For the aquarium hobbiest - especially someone new to cichlids, it has a lot of discussion of cichlid behavior - based on laboratory studies and natural observation of cichlids. This includes how they select mates, how they signal aggression (and evantually fight if neither fish signals submission), how parents can signal to their fry, etc.
Also discussed in detail is how various family organizations in cichlids possibly evolved. Including maternal mouthbrooding, bi-parental mouthbrooding, monogamous substrate spawners, harem spawners, etc. It's in this area of discussion that the text could be somewhat controversial depending on religious views. However, it does provide simple and understandable theories based on "darwinian fitness".
Anyway, I'm posting this in the education forum as I'm not sure where else it would go. "The Cichlid Fishes" is the best (and most educational) fish book I've read.