Re: Book Reviews Please?

["Scott Davis" <unclescott at prodigy_net>]

You are correct in that you will find both scientific and some practical
information. I have all the volumes in the series and am glad I bought them.
More info will be provided on a species than is provided in many other works
listing individual species.

Whether I would spend that much money as a person just interested in
checking out one species of killie to try, I don't know.

Using your example, the first thing your would notice with your Fundulus is
that you misspelled the species - something I do all too often. Then you
would notice that there are two subspecies of Fundulus diaphanus. F.
diaphanus diaphanus is located in the Eastern part of the US and into the
Maritime provinces of Canada. A black and white (or is that gray scale?)
Wildekamp drawing of a specimen well illustrates the more robust features of
the eastern populations as opposed to the somewhat more slender F diaphanus
menona.

If there are several local forms of the fish, many illustrations may be
included.

The original name, etymology of the name, publication, describer and type
locality are included.

A history of the names and synonyms given the species is included, as is a
selection of the more frequently used common names.

Meristics, chromosomes and lengths are given.

A section on habitats and distribution follows. A Brian Watters' map is also
included. Locations the fish has been recorded from are each marked with a
star.

Detailed descriptions of both males and females follow.

There is a section on Maintenance and Breeding. It includes good advice, but
is a not encyclopedic. On the other hand for the diaphanus it mentions the
need to keep them in a cool period during the winter before raising
temperatures in the spring. A spacious aquarium is also recommended.

One of the more interesting sections is the Remarks segment. For instance,
it is mentioned that specimens have been found in distributions where they
wouldn't likely be. Some situations along the Great Lakes may be because of
ballast water dumping from merchant ships. Two populations of F. diaphanus
menona in the Dakotas may have accompanied stocking of black bass.

Mention is also made of a fossil killie from South Dakota described under a
different name which is really diaphanus.

Clonal, unisexual populations of F heteroclitus found in Nova Scotia are
thought to be perpetual hybrids of F. diaphanus diaphanus and F
heteroclitus.

Under the menona remarks is mention that that subspecies is protected in
South Dakota, Illinois and Ohio.
....
If an aquarist just wants general info on breeding a killie, the Baensch
Atlases are probably sufficient. For all of these details one would go to
the World of Killies series.

When the first volume was promoted, Brian prepared a sample page for the AKA
business new letter. Maybe it would be good to included that sample on the
AKA web site in the killie store.

All the best!

Scott


> My question for today is; can anyone tell me if the series "A World of
> Killies", available through the AKA, provides information about raising
the
> various species? For example, if I purchase volume 3 and look up Fundulus
> diaphonous, will I get a scientific treatment concerned with population
> ranges and generalized characteristics of the species, or will I find
> practical information on how to keep the species in an aquarium? Both
angles
> have positive benefits, I'm just curious what "A World of Killies" is all
> about before I order it.
>



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