David Greenfield and Jamie Thomerson have produced the first book on the freshwater fishes of Belize and one of only a few on this subject for any country in Central America. Home to well-developed coral atolls and reefs, numerous inland lagoons, streams, rivers, and wide river mouths that open to the sea, Belize has increasingly become a center for the study of tropical biology and ecotourism, attracting researchers and travelers from around the world. Because of its geography, freshwater, marine, and brackishwater fish species all thrive in its continental waters.
This volume provides taxonomic keys and descriptions for 118 fish species recorded in Belize: 3 families and 6 species of exclusively freshwater fishes, 5 families and 35 species of brackishwater fishes with some salt tolerance, and 30 families and 77 species of marine fishes. Additional contents include 213 drawings, 72 maps, and extensive historical, biological, and distributional data of fish species, as well as a discussion of the region’s geology.
Because of Belize’s geology and location, this guide is broadly representative of Central American fish fauna in general, and it will be useful to students and scholars of tropical and marine biology, sportfishing and diving enthusiasts, aquariasts, and tropical fish hobbyists everywhere.

David W. Greenfield is professor of zoology at the University of Hawaii, affiliate researcher at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, and a research associate at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu and the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. He has published numerous articles on marine and freshwater fishes and is past president of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Jamie E. Thomerson is professor of biology at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, and research associate at the Field Museum. He has published numerous articles on neotropical freshwater fishes.

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"will be a welcome addition to the libraries of aquarists who want to know more about Belizean fishes or to plan collecting trips there." "I like FOB and believe that aquarists interested in Central American fishes, including cichlids, would find it interesting and useful. It gives a fuller picture of Belize's fish fauna and a richer sense of Belizean fishes' natural history than any of the picture books for aquarists I've read."
--Buntbarsche Journal - American Cichlid Associaiton

"a meaningful contribution to the study of fishes. . . . detailed descriptions of 119 species representing 38 recognized families. Although a valuable addition to the bookshelf of any student of fishes, this little volume is most valuable tucked away in one's backpack whle in Central America."
--Choice

"Until now, anyone seeking an identification guide to freshwater fish of Central America would be forced to create one with an assembly of reprints. After many years of using our photocopied assemblage, including draft manuscript sections of this reference, I am delighted to see the publication of this volume." "My first copy was field tested and provided us rapid identification of peciliids captured in Belize mangrove cays during a recent survey. Our Belizean colleagues have been elated to acquire copies. I recommend this long needed and awaited edition to all students of Central American fish fauna. It will serve as well as a useful reference in the identification of many of the exotic fishes that have colonized and now comprise elements of south Florida ichtyofauna."--Copeia
--Copeia

"clearly written and , while being technical in nature, still provides information of value to a nonprofessional such as advanced hobbyist rather than an ichtyologist. . . . the clarity of the information and drawings presented through the text, ensures that the absence of color photographs does not detract from the value of the book. . . .This book is intended for an avid collector, an ichtyologist studying the fauna from this part of the world, a public aquarium, or a public library."
--Freshwater and Marine Aquarium