Stephen Spotte, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, Florida, USA Tarpons arose from an ancient lineage, and just two species exist today, confined to the tropics and subtropics: Megalops atlanticus in the western and eastern Atlantic and Megalops cyprinoides distributed widely across the Indo-West Pacific. The Atlantic tarpon is considered king of the saltwater sport fishes and supports a multi-billion dollar recreational fishery in the U.S. alone. The Pacific tarpon, which is much smaller, is less valued by anglers. Both have limited commercial value but offer considerable potential for future aquaculture because of their hardiness, rapid growth, and ease of adaptation to captivity. This book is the latest and most thorough text on the biology, ecology, and fisheries (sport and commercial) of tarpons. The chapters comprise clear, intricate discourses on such subjects as early development and metamorphosis, population genetics, anatomical and physiological features and adaptations, migrations, reproductive biology, and culminate with a concise overview of the world's tarpon fisheries. A comprehensive appendix includes Spotte's original translations of important papers published previously by others in Spanish and Portuguese and unavailable until now to English readers. Tarpons: Biology, Ecology, Fisheries will be of considerable interest and use to fishery and research biologists, marine conservationists, aquaculturists, and informed anglers

Tying and rigging lines and leaders Boat-handling tips and approaching and feeding fish From setting the hook to fighting and landing the fish quickly and safely Artist and ardent angler Bill Bishop tackles all aspects of tarpon fishing--from building leaders to bringing them in quickly. Each chapter explores the core aspects of tarpon fishing in detail, including step-by-step instructions for tying IGFA leaders, the nuances of finding, casting to, hooking, and fighting giant tarpon, and insights and tips for running the boat, seeing fish, and reading the fish's behavior. In addition to the technical aspects, Bishop's stories and humor take a look at the personal side of fishing, reminding us that despite the sometimes-serious undertaking of battling a 150-pound tarpon, fishing is still supposed to be fun. With more than 140 detailed pen-and-ink illustrations and photos by Mark Hatter, this book will help anyone who wants to hook, and land, more silver kings.

Based on the concept that the purpose of public services is to meet needs, scholars from the Policy Research Institute at Leeds Metropolitan University present ten papers that examine the theory, context, and methodology by which those needs are assessed, and provide case studies in a number of areas. Among the case studies are community care, health, housing, legal services, and employment and training. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

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

This book is a comprehensive identification guide to the 222 species of fishes in Florida’s fresh waters. Each species is presented with color photographs, key characteristics for identification, comparisons to similar species, habitat descriptions, and dot distribution maps. Florida's unique mix of species includes some of the world's favorite sport fishes, the Tarpon and Largemouth Bass. This guide also features three species native only to Florida—the Seminole Killifish, Flagfish, and Okaloosa Darter—and the smallest freshwater fish in North America, the Least Killifish. Ranging from the panhandle to the Everglades, their habitats include springs, creeks, rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps, marshes, and man-made canals. As Florida's human population grows, the state's freshwater environments are being changed in ways that threaten its native fishes. This book provides important information on the diversity, distribution, and environmental needs of both native and nonindigenous species, helping us monitor and take care of Florida's water and its aquatic inhabitants.

Examines every major aquatic organism as well as lesser-known and rare life-forms including water-dwelling plants and animals and the algae and bacteria that constitute the first links in the food chain.

From the bestselling author of Saban, 4th and Goal, and Sowbelly comes the thrilling, untold story of the quest for the world record tarpon on a fly rod—a tale that reveals as much about Man as it does about the fish. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, something unique happened in the quiet little town on the west coast of Florida known as Homosassa. The best fly anglers in the world—Lefty Kreh, Stu Apte, Ted Williams, Tom Evans, Billy Pate and others—all gathered together to chase the same Holy Grail: The world record for the world’s most glamorous and sought-after fly rod species, the tarpon. The anglers would meet each morning for breakfast. They would compete out on the water during the day, eat dinner together at night, socialize and party. Some harder than others. The world record fell nearly every year. But records weren’t the only things that were broken. Hooks, lines, rods, reels, hearts and marriages didn’t survive, either. The egos involved made the atmosphere electric. The difficulty of the quest made it legitimate. The drugs and romantic entaglements that were swept in with the tide would finally make it all veer out of control. It was a confluence of people and place that had never happened before in the world of fishing and will never happen again. It was a collision of the top anglers and the top species of fish which would lead to smashed lives for nearly all involved, man and fish alike. In Lords of the Fly, Burke, an obsessed tarpon fly angler himself, delves into this incredible moment. He examines the growing popularity of the tarpon, an amazing fish has been around for 50 million years, can live to 80 years old and can grow to 300 pounds in weight. It is a massive, leaping, bullet train of a fish. When hooked in shallow water, it produces “immediate unreality,” as the late poet and tarpon obsessive, Richard Brautigan, once described it. Burke also chronicles the heartbreaking destruction that exists as a result—brought on by greed, environmental degradation and the shenanigans of a notorious Miami gangster—and how all of it has shaped our contemporary fishery. Filled with larger-than-life characters and vivid prose, Lords of the Fly is not only a must read for anglers of all stripes, but also for those interested in the desperate yearning of the human condition.

View the animal kingdom up close as never before in this breathtaking title, which has already sold over 1.5 million copies. Written by 70 specialists, it features stunning wildlife photography of more than 2000 of the world's most important wild mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and insects. With around two million species identified to date, animals are the dominant and most varied form of life on the planet. Animal presents a representative selection, ranging from the giant baleen whale, to fast-moving predators such as sharks, big cats, and birds of prey, as well as microscopic beetles barely 1mm long and other insects. It presents some of the latest species to be described: meet the cute but elusive olinguito from South America, which was only identified in 2013, or the skywalker hoolock gibbon that was named after a Star Wars character in 2017. Animal also explains how the earth's biodiversity is in sharp decline and the conservation projects underway to safeguard precious species. For each one, it gives a locator map and statistics, including its conservation status. For anyone who wants a reliable and enthralling reference, in which you can find the answers to everything - from why zebras are striped or how the sunbear got its name - Animal is your essential one-stop guide.