Whitfield Alan K. Biology and Ecology of Fishes in Southern African Estuaries

Grahamstown: J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology, 1998. — 223 p. — ISBN: 0-86810-333-0. — Ichthyological Monographs of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology. №2.The South African coastline is one of the most striking features of the country's renowned natural heritage, with the numerous and diverse estuaries being major components that contribute greatly to this natural splendour. Estuaries have always been an attraction to humans, not only for their scenic beauty but probably more for the opportunities they present in terms of food supplies, shelter and, especially in modem times, recreation. The fishes that live in estuaries are undoubtedly one of the reasons that attract man in the first place — they are often easily seen and caught. The fishes themselves are attracted to estuaries for the same reasons that man is attracted — these systems provide them with abundant food and shelter, particularly for the juveniles of many marine and estuarine species. So a book that details our present state of knowledge on the biology and ecology of fishes in southern African estuaries is at once a most welcome addition to the available literature on our natural heritage — especially when it is written by the leading authority on the subject at the present time.
In focusing on estuarine fishes this book fills an important knowledge-niche in ichthyology. It is the first of its kind for Africa and sets a high standard for future estuarine fish books from other parts of the world. There have been books on southern African estuaries, in which there are chapters on estuarine fishes, but this is the first where estuarine-associated fishes are the focus of the entire work. For Alan Whitfield it is a major milestone in a most industrious career and serves to bring together his own considerable first hand experience and that of all who have contributed to our understanding of estuarine fishes on the subcontinent. The book is a thorough, authoritative and up-to-date scientific review. Its publication now is timeous, for estuaries are undergoing unprecedented development and degradation from human activities, and it will take all the skills and knowledge available to society to conserve these precious environments.