Fish Behavior in the Aquarium and in the Wild - by Stephan Reebs (Paperback)

About the Book

A home aquarium seems a peaceful place. Gazing at its inhabitants as they swim slowly through their small universe is a soothing, even hypnotic, experience. But this seeming tranquillity is only surface deep. Like their wild counterparts, these tiny...

Book Synopsis

A home aquarium seems a peaceful place. Gazing at its inhabitants as they swim slowly through their small universe is a soothing, even hypnotic, experience. But this seeming tranquillity is only surface deep. Like their wild counterparts, these tiny, glittering beings exhibit a wide array of fascinating behaviors.Stéphan Reebs provides a delightfully entertaining, yet scientifically grounded, look at what fishes do and how they do it. From defending their young, to seeking out the perfect sexual partner, to telling time, fishes display a variety of behaviors that may not be readily apparent to the casual observer. Reebs not only describes the behaviors, but also outlines simple experiments that can be performed by observers wishing to learn for themselves just how resourceful--and bizarre--these creatures can be.How Fish Behave introduces us to damselfishes that sing like birds, elephantfishes that communicate electrically, and sticklebacks that deceive other fish into believing they have found food. Drawing on the experimental evidence behind such intrinsically interesting responses, Reebs demonstrates how science is conducted in the field of animal behavior.

Review Quotes

'A book written for hobbyists that is also useful for professionals.' Well, yes, this might be one: written by an ethnologist to popularize facts from the scientific literature.

Although serious and scientific in tone, the book is written in a way that even high school students working on a science project could understand. Reebs also describes some experiments that could be replicated in a home aquarium... Recommended for all public libraries as well as high school and college libraries where there is interest in behavioral ecology or fishes.

Another top book for inquisitive anglers. Reebs is a professor of biology at the Universite de Moncton, Canada, and an avid fish collector, experimenter, and aquarium hobbyist. Through Reebs describes the sensory systems of fish, he dwells primarily on social aspects of fish behavior, including their learning abilities, feeding behavior, and spawning. Though directed to a broad audience of fish fans, this book hold many insights into understanding game fish.

Stephan Reebs provides a delightful, brief, and accessible answer to any who may doubt the complexity and sophistication of the behavior of fishes.... I found the book thoroughly enjoyable and highly educational. I imagine it will appeal to both aquarists and academicians and to anyone else captivated by the behavior of our aquatic relatives. Reebs does an excellent job of describing the academic research that has generated our current knowledge and does so with an infectious sense of wonder at the remarkable behavior of fishes.

The acoustic world of fishes, their sense of touch at a distance and the ability of some to interpret and exploit electric and geo-magnetic fields will be unfamiliar to many, but no longer to anyone with access to this book... Many reading Reebs's book will be struck by the parallels between the behavior of fish and those of 'higher' organisms such as birds and mammals. Fish Behavior is a fine and well-referenced book; it teaches us to look at our fellow vertebrates with a new respect.

This attractive little book was written by Reebs primarily for the benefit of aquarium owners and other fish fanciers.... Reebs, through his superb writing ability and clever illustrations, has done an outstanding job.

About the Author

Stéphan Reebs is Professor of Biology at the University of Moncton, Canada. He has published numerous articles on animal behavior.