Biology of Sharks and Their Relatives, Second Edition (CRC Marine Biology Series)
"This publication will be informative and indispensable to fish biologists, university students and aquarium staff. The editor is to be praised for the great job of integrating many contributions into a very useful publication. … This book is no doubt the most up-to-date publication on chondrichthyan biology for specialists."—Keiichi Sato, Chief of Aquarium Education, Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, inMarine Biology Research, 2013; 9: 227"The new-and-improved second edition of this excellent series contains the latest information about many aspects of shark research. Additionally, the book contains several brand-new chapters focusing on how improved technology (molecular/genetic methods as well as satellite and acoustic tracking) has affected shark research. As with the first edition, this volume primarily focuses on 3 broad sections of elasmobranch research: phylogeny and zoogeography; form, function, and physiology; and ecology and life history. Within each section, there are several chapters focusing on a specific field of research, each written by a team of experts in that field. While the language of some chapters may be a bit technical for some non-scientist readers, this book (and the others in the series) are an invaluable guide to shark science. This book is worth getting for the epic reference list alone."—David Shiffman – WhySharksMatter, inSouthern Fried Science, July 23, 2012"A work purporting to provide a comprehensive review of a specific taxon's biology often completely omits relevant topics, but such is not the case with this second edition (1st ed., CH, Nov'04, 42-1559). Systematics, behavior, physiology, and ecology of cartilaginous fish are thoroughly reviewed here. The book's contributors also address topics such as evolutionary history, genetics, anatomy, and histology to the extent that they provide insight into the main topic areas. The bulk of information relates to sharks, with somewhat less material presented on the batoids (skates and rays) and much less on the chimaera (deepwater cartilaginous fish). This is not a case of selective editing; the relative amounts of information reflect the number of studies that have been conducted on each of these groups. However, the book contains noteworthy, novel contributions for all three taxonomic groups. The figures and tables are consistent in appearance throughout the text. The chapter narratives are well written and lucid, while the associated citations are current and extensive. This work should claim the role of its predecessor in serving as a fundamental resource for researchers and students of the cartilaginous fishes, as well as marine biologists of all disciplines. Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals."—S. R. Fegley, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in CHOICE, December 2012Praise for the First Edition"The table of contents … is the first indication that this book’s editors succeeded in their objective of compiling far more than just another book about the biology of the Class Chondrichthyes (sharks, rays, and chimeras). It is the scope of this book that distinguishes it. …contributions have been carefully prepared and provide generally thorough and well-referenced accounts of each subject. …the volume is a solid contribution and in many respects is far more than the sum of its parts. … It will be an important reference for all students of fish biology, marine biologists, and those concerned with fishery conservation and sustaining marine biodiversity."—Jeffrey B. Graham,The Journal of Experimental Biology, 208, 419-420 (2005)"This book … is presented as a tribute to the work of three outstanding shark researchers—Perry Gilbert, Shelton Applegate, and Samuel Gruber. …a benchmark publication, offering a well-rounded picture of the current status of chondrichthyan research for advanced students, professors of ichthyology or vertebrate zoology, and even specialists. The in-depth but educational nature of many of the papers make for excellent teaching material that, coupled with the presentation of original research, renders this volume a noteworthy addition to the chondrichthyan literature."—Marcelo R de Carvalho,Quarterly Review of Biology, Volume 80 (2005)"The editors have done a superb job of melding the efforts of nearly 40 contributors into a cohesive volume that covers virtually all aspects of elasmobranch biology…. Separate subject and animal indexes simplify tracking down specific information, and the extensive, up-to-date reference lists are an invaluable resource…. This is a very important volume that will be the key reference on sharks and their relatives for years to come.Summing Up:Essential. Lower-level undergraduates and above."—G. C. Jensen, Choice, November (2004)