––Barbara Muhling,
University of California - Santa Cruz
NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center
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––Katherine E. Bemis and Eric J. Hilton
Virginia Institute of Marine Science,
William & Mary - Gloucester
THE definitive guide to the most important group of game (and food) fishes around the planet by two of the world’s leading authorities — an essential reference for serious saltwater anglers. Cheers and congrats on a fabulous work!
THE definitive guide to the most important group of game (and food) fishes around the planet by two of the world’s leading authorities — an essential reference for serious saltwater anglers. Cheers and congrats on a fabulous work!
––Doug Olander, Editor, Sportfishing Magazine
“Tunas and Billfishes of the World” is the first comprehensive guide this decade to describe these highly migratory and very valuable open ocean species. Billfishes have become increasingly valuable as a living resource in sustainable catch and release sport fisheries around the world while many species of tuna are currently fully exploited and are in need of better management. The book is beautifully illustrated by Val Kells.”
––Guy Harvey, PhD, Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation
The book is a vital contribution to our understanding of these two hugely important groups of fishes. It is a landmark publication and an essential reference which will be used by scientists, managers and fishers, both commercial and recreational, for many years to come. The most comprehensive coverage yet published of two of the most important groups of fishes on the planet. Completely up-to-date with the taxonomy of all tuna and billfish species based on the latest phylogenetic and molecular techniques. The artwork of Val Kells is both accurate and delightful, depicting true-to-life colours of even rarely seen juvenile and post-larval forms. As well as the excellent and easy-to-use identification keys, each species’ diagnostic features are visually highlighted via detailed illustrations.
––Julian Pepperell Ph.D, Pepperell Research & Consulting Ltd
Tunas and billfishes are arguably the world’s most magnificently engineered fishes. Collette and Graves have two lifetime’s worth of experience with these animals and have created a magnum opus that provides a level of detail on these species never seen before. The accompanying illustrations by Val Kells are both beautiful and stunningly accurate. This book will undoubtedly become the definitive comprehensive resource for layperson to the expert seeking information on this extraordinary suite of fishes.
––Jason Schratwieser, Conservation Director, International Game Fish Association
For over three decades the most important identification and basic information guides for global tunas and billfishes were the venerable Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Species Catalogues for these important fishes, in two separate volumes. These have now been superseded by this thoroughly and expertly updated, and superbly illustrated guide. The dichotomous keys and illustrated field marking and diagnostic character notes will serve as the gold standard for identification of species for decades to come. The additional information on each species’ biology, fisheries importance and conservation status make this a vital reference for ichthyologists, fisheries biologists, conservation biologists and fisher people.
––Kent E. Carpenter, Professor & Eminent Scholar, Biological Sciences, Manager IUCN Marine Biodiversity Unit, Old Dominion University, Norfolk VA USA.
“Tunas and Billfishes of the World is a must-have book not only for scientists and fishers, but also for the general public, such as fish consumers, chefs, students, managers, who wants to educate themselves about those remarkable creatures, their biology, uses, distribution, among other topics. The book is concisely written by two of the most experienced experts in the field. The book blends and distills the scientific knowledge for each species in a fluid text meticulously arranged in topics that can be easily scanned. The reader is invited to continue studying by following the authors’ suggestions for further readings or by consulting the vast on-line reference list. Each species account is accompanied by a distribution map and by exquisite art work that truly make justice to the magnificence of these animals. The accounts for commercially important species also include a pertinent description of their stocks, with its fisheries, catch volumes and conservation status. The book also includes an-easy-to-follow dichotomous key, which could be used by, for example, on-board scientific observers, staff of landing monitoring programs or any one at a fish market. Technical terms are explained in a glossary and illustrations. This book shall be not only the first but also the most frequent stop for all whose lives are interrelated with tunas, bonitos, billfishes and swordfish, or are simply curious about them. “
––Carolina Minte-Vera, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission
“Two of the world’s top authorities have produced the definitive scientific compendium on the families and species of the worlds’ tuna, mackerels and billfishes with incredibly accurate and detailed illustrations, a fantastic volume.”
––William W Fox, Jr., PhD | VP, Tuna Fisheries Conservation | Oceans | WWF-US