Reviews
"Everything you wanted to know about our underwater friends is well covered in this scientifically illustrated book. It is a scholarly work and a quick reference at all times on fish issues." Ron MacIsaac, Dec 5, 2007, "In this long-awaited consolidation of a lifetime's study of the freshwater fish fauna of our province, Dr. J.D. McPhail covers the 81 species of fish that spend at least part of their time in B.C.'s lakes, ponds and streams. The book is a major contribution to the field, a must-have for freshwater fisheries biologists and undoubtedly many others as well, and sure to be a definitive guide for many years to come.... One of McPhail's great contributions to the literature has been his focus on all species of fishes, not just the salmonids and other commercially important species....Strikingly for such a reference book, the writing is both scientifically appropriate and completely digestible from a lay reader's point of view.... The range maps are similar to those published in contemporary Royal B.C. Museum Handbooks, the exquisite illustrations by his artist daughter D.L. McPhail are well reproduced, and a lengthy introduction covers the larger biogeographical setting and how glaciers determined many of the distribution patterns we see today. An extensive and up-to-date bibliography, checklist, and short glossary are included." Christine Adkins, Discovery, Spring 2008, "The two other short-listed editors recognized for their excellent work were Paul Payson, for The Freshwater Fishes of British Columbia, by J. D. McPhail, and David Prosser, for This Rough Magic: The Making of an Artistic Director, a memoir by Richard Monette, as told to David Prosser (Stratford Shakespearean Festival of Canada)." Full article about the four shortlisted editors for the 2007 Tom Fairley Award can be found at http://www.editors.ca/tomfairley/2007/index.html, "The inland waters of BC host eighty-five fish species in seventeen families. Don McPhail makes clear what is known and what is not known about each and every one of these species - many readers will find it surprising how little has been established for sure about many of these freshwater fishes. ... McPhail's book brings together all this information for the first time, but it is far more than a useful compendium. At the core of the book's utility are the identification keys, illustrated with many diagrams. Identification is an important first step in the conservation of biodiversity - many in the general public scarcely realize how critical this step is and how difficult it can be without expert guides such as this one. With this careful work, Don McPhail has left a really powerful legacy for future fish ecologists in BC. But this book is way, way more than an identification guide. In particular the section on conservation include material vital to present management and the establishment of rational, science-based strategies for conservation. ... In conclusion, not only should Don McPhail's book be placed on all reference shelves in Canada, but also many workers in the field will find it completely invaluable. An even larger audience will benefit from the thoughtful and informative discussion of conservation issues therein. It's a bargain at ninety dollars. I thoroughly recommend it!" Tony J. Pitcher, University of British Columbia, BC Studies, no. 158, Summer 2008, "Don McPhail, a professor emeritus from UBC whose definitive book, The Freshwater Fishes of British Columbia, is based on 40 years of field research." Mark Hume, Globe and Mail, January 9, 2008, "McPhail (emer., Univ. of British Columbia) covers the 81 species of fish that spend at least part of their lives in the lakes, ponds, and streams of British Columbia. The introduction covers biogeography and how glaciers determined many of the patterns seen today. A discussion of the difficulties biologists and conservationists face in determining species, evolutionarily significant units, and other designations follows. Species accounts are accompanied by superb black-and-white illustrations, each including a map showing the distribution within British Columbia and a written description of their distribution elsewhere. Life history, diet, and habitat information for both adults and juveniles is provided. Since freshwater fishes are particularly vulnerable, descriptions conclude with information on their conservation status; in the case of introduced species, their effects on the ecosystem are noted. This is not a mere identification guide. It contains a wealth of ecological information gleaned from technical reports, unpublished theses, and other obscure sources. More importantly, it incorporates observations from the author's lifetime of studying the freshwater fishes of this province. Most of the species covered occur in other western states andprovinces, making it an invaluable addition to natural history libraries throughout the region. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers; lower-division undergraduates through professionals." — G. C. Jensen, University of Washington, CHOICE Magazine, "The book is composed of introductory sections covering purpose, use ofkeys, names of fishes, layout of the book, origins of the fauna, presentdistributions, and conservation. The sections on glacial events and currentdistributions are a very useful synthesis as is the discussion on what aspecies is and why the various forms of sticklebacks and others have notbeen named taxonomically... This is the definitive book on this fish fauna and an essential tome forany student of the aquatic environment in British Columbia. Future versionswill require multiple authors to match and improve on the experience andknowledge exhibited here by Don McPhail." Brian W. Coad, The CanadianField-Naturalist, Volume 121
