The Complex Lives of British Freshwater Fishes

This stunningly illustrated book goes far beyond a run-of-the-mill nature guide. It explores the fascinating life histories of Britain's freshwater fishes, a group of animals which, despite their importance and ubiquity in our diverse still and flowing freshwaters, has before now been rarely regarded and respected as 'wildlife'.

Our native fish tend generally to be considered as simply something for anglers to catch or for people to eat, yet they work enormously hard for us. Author Mark Everard, avid nature-watcher, angler and scientist, shows how freshwater fish provide food, ornamentation, sport and cultural identity, and highlights their huge importance for conservation as part of the living ecosystems upon which we all depend. He dives into the mysteries moving below the surface of our rivers and lakes, bringing the wonderful and fascinating world of the diversity of British freshwater fish species into plain sight and into mind.

This unique book features over 100 full-colour photographs by pioneering photographer and filmmaker Jack Perks, whose work has featured on BBC Springwatch, The One Show and Countryfile. The Complex Lives of British Freshwater Fishes is filled with technical detail useful to conservationists and marine biology students. Most importantly, it is also presented in an accessible, visually attractive and engaging manner that will appeal to anybody with an interest in the natural world: the conservation-minded public, the angling community, and our nation of wildlife enthusiasts.

1. Introduction
2. What is a fish?
3. What have freshwater fishes ever done for us?
4. Knowing your way round a fish
5. The piscatorial dramatis personae
6. Freshwater fish ecosystems
7. Sex lives of the British freshwater fishes
8. The things that Britain’s freshwater fishes eat
9. The curious world of Britain’s freshwater fishes
10. The curious and curiouser world of the European eel
11. Conservation
12. Management of fresh waters for fish
13. Fish twitching
14. So what have we learned about Britain’s freshwater fishes?

Further reading

Appendix 1: Glossary
Appendix 2: Distribution maps of British freshwater fishes
Appendix 3: The tendency of British freshwater leuciscine fishes to hybridise
Appendix 4: Key identification features of British freshwater cyprinid fishes
Appendix 5: Freshwater fishes banned under UK legislation
Appendix 6: Fish species scheduled for conservation action

Index