The authoritative expert's guide to fascinating frogfishes and their unusual lives. Winner of the PROSE Award for Best Single Volume Reference in Science by the Association of American Publishers Unique among the world's fishes, frogfishes display a bizarre combination of attributes and behaviors that make them a subject of fervent study. Through cunning and trickery, they turn would-be predators into prey; they "walk" across the ocean floor and jet-propel through open water; some lay their eggs in a floating mucoid mass, while others employ complex patterns of parental care; and they are certainly among the most colorful of nature's productions. In Frogfishes, two of the world's leading anglerfish experts, Theodore W. Pietsch and Rachel J. Arnold, bring together an enormous amount of information about these incredible creatures. The only detailed exploration of frogfishes in print, the book touches on everything from their morphology and biomechanics to their diets and habitats. Enhanced with more than 500 spectacular color images, the book also includes • a thorough look at about 5,000 preserved specimens; • an annotated synonymy for all extant taxa, as well as keys and tables to facilitate identification; • insights into frogfish feeding, locomotion, mimicry, and reproductive behavior; • descriptions of recent scientific advances, including the discovery of new species, shifts in geographic distribution, and emerging DNA sequencing techniques; and • tips for frogfish-seeking divers and aquarists that emphasize conservation. Unmasking the mysteries of frogfish evolution and phylogenetic relationships through close examination of their fossil record, morphology, and molecular reconstruction, Frogfishes demonstrates the surprising diversity and beauty of this remarkable assemblage of marine shorefishes.

They can change color. They can strike in as little as 6 milliseconds. They can regenerate parts of their body. They are frogfish! Even reluctant readers are sure to enjoy learning all about these wacky, weird, and wonderful fish. Full-color photographs and exciting, age-appropriate text show just how varied the frogfish can be in shape, size, and color. This book provides a great opportunity to learn about evolution, ecosystems, and so much more. Fact boxes pop exciting, sensationally strange tidbits onto every page, making the readers’ experience both fun and educational.

A frogfish is one of the craziest animals you will ever see. Have you ever seen a fish that cannot swim? Or a fish that walks around the bottom of the ocean on two hands? Or even a fish that fishes for its food? Well then meet the frogfish! Find out what a frogfish looks like, where it lives, what it eats, what eats it, how babies are born, and some funky facts. Ages 6-8 Reading Level 3.9 LearningIsland.com believes in the value of children practicing reading for 15 minutes every day. Our 15-Minute Books give children lots of fun, exciting choices to read, from classic stories, to mysteries, to books of knowledge. Many books are appropriate for hi-lo readers. Open the world of reading to a child by having them read for 15 minutes a day.

From the deadly great white shark to the legendary giant squid, Sharks and Underwater Monsters takes the reader on a fascinating journey into a strange and little-known world. Each featured creature is illustrated with a large annotated photograph with supporting colour artworks, accompanied by locator maps and information boxes.

Looks at unusual fish from around the world, including the Leafy Sea Dragon, the Sawfish, and the Porcupine Fish.

“A highly useful and interesting reference for ichthyologists, recreational fish enthusiasts and those working in Florida waters . . . a worthy addition.” —Marine Biology Research The most comprehensive book about Florida’s marine fishes ever produced, Marine Fishes of Florida includes hundreds of photographs and descriptions of species you’ll encounter—plus many that are rare—when diving, snorkeling, kayaking, or fishing. Coverage includes both the Atlantic and Gulf coastline, from habitats near the shore to deeper waters. Fishes found in coastal rivers and other brackish waters are fully represented, as are offshore species that venture into Florida’s waters often enough to be called “occasional visitors.” David B. Snyder and George H. Burgess intertwine personal observations with results from research studies to provide accurate—often surprising—details. The result is a set of beautifully succinct identification descriptions coupled with information about each species’ natural history. From the largest sharks to the smallest cryptic gobies, from homely toadfishes to the spectacularly colored reef fishes, this book is certain to help you better understand the fish you’ve seen or hooked. Features of Marine Fishes of Florida include: Color photographs by leading marine photographers Differentiation of adult and juvenile forms Coverage of 133 fish families and hundreds of species Size and geographical range data Natural history and conservation notes Explanations of geologic history and current habitats “Entertaining and informative . . . I think this book will be a great addition to the library of any biologist, fisher, diver or student, and I strongly recommend this book to anyone wishing to expand their knowledge of Florida fishes.” —Environmental Biology of Fishes

Everybody Out of the Pond At the Water's Edge will change the way you think about your place in the world. The awesome journey of life's transformation from the first microbes 4 billion years ago to Homo sapiens today is an epic that we are only now beginning to grasp. Magnificent and bizarre, it is the story of how we got here, what we left behind, and what we brought with us. We all know about evolution, but it still seems absurd that our ancestors were fish. Darwin's idea of natural selection was the key to solving generation-to-generation evolution -- microevolution -- but it could only point us toward a complete explanation, still to come, of the engines of macroevolution, the transformation of body shapes across millions of years. Now, drawing on the latest fossil discoveries and breakthrough scientific analysis, Carl Zimmer reveals how macroevolution works. Escorting us along the trail of discovery up to the current dramatic research in paleontology, ecology, genetics, and embryology, Zimmer shows how scientists today are unveiling the secrets of life that biologists struggled with two centuries ago. In this book, you will find a dazzling, brash literary talent and a rigorous scientific sensibility gracefully brought together. Carl Zimmer provides a comprehensive, lucid, and authoritative answer to the mystery of how nature actually made itself.

When viewed from a quiet beach, the ocean, with its rolling waves and vast expanse, can seem calm, even serene. But hidden beneath the sea’s waves are a staggering abundance and variety of active creatures, engaged in the never-ending struggles of life—to reproduce, to eat, and to avoid being eaten. With Sex, Drugs, and Sea Slime, marine scientist Ellen Prager takes us deep into the sea to introduce an astonishing cast of fascinating and bizarre creatures that make the salty depths their home. From the tiny but voracious arrow worms whose rapacious ways may lead to death by overeating, to the lobsters that battle rivals or seduce mates with their urine, to the sea’s masters of disguise, the octopuses, Prager not only brings to life the ocean’s strange creatures, but also reveals the ways they interact as predators, prey, or potential mates. And while these animals make for some jaw-dropping stories—witness the sea cucumber, which ejects its own intestines to confuse predators, or the hagfish that ties itself into a knot to keep from suffocating in its own slime—there’s far more to Prager’s account than her ever-entertaining anecdotes: again and again, she illustrates the crucial connections between life in the ocean and humankind, in everything from our food supply to our economy, and in drug discovery, biomedical research, and popular culture. Written with a diver’s love of the ocean, a novelist’s skill at storytelling, and a scientist’s deep knowledge, Sex, Drugs, and Sea Slime enchants as it educates, enthralling us with the wealth of life in the sea—and reminding us of the need to protect it.

First published in 1979, this guide has become the standard resource for scientists, divers, and spearfishers interested in the fishes of the tropical Pacific Coast. The authors have revised and updated this edition to include the most current taxonomic information, additional species descriptions, and new illustrations.