Book reviews F.-W. Tesch. 1977. The eel. Biology and management of anguillid eels. Enghsh edition edited by P. H. Greenwood. Translated by J. Greenwood. Chapman and Hall, London. xii + 434 pp. & 18.00. Since the publication in 1973 of the German work 'Der Aal' many fisheries biologists have expressed the hope that an English translation would be made available. Thanks to the efforts of Jennifer Greenwood their wishes have been met. The book has been both revised and updated; as evidenced by reference to papers in press at the time of publication. As the sub-title would suggest this book can be roughly divided into two sections, the first dealing with the biology and ecology of eels; the second with fisheries and culture. There are eight chapters. The first 'Body structure and function' is comprehensive, including physiological aspects. The section on gonads is particularly good and a brave attempt is made to draw together the confusing plethora of information on sex determination in eels. The second chapter 'Eel species, their developmental stages and their distribution' describes in varying detail all seventeen species of anguillid eels and includes a short discussion on the origin and speciation of eels. Tucker's controversial hypothesis on American and European eels is countered by an enumeration of the battery of alternative arguments by other authorities. The author notes that reservations must be expressed on the significance of the electrophoretic pattern differences found between European and American eels and this raises the question of the general reliability of electrophoretic data. Chapter three 'Post-larval ecology and behaviour' which comprises one quarter of the book, I personally found the most enjoyable. There is a thorough account of migration, both juvenile and adult. I was particularly interested to learn that apparently silver eels do not use tidal transport in rnigration (p. 230). Some marine fishes and glass eels use this energy saving strategy, perhaps silver eels have not yet read up on their theory! There are a few minor errors in this chapter; gudgeon are certainly less than 50 cm (p. 175), Ford-Walform (p. 199) should read Ford-Walford and in the legend to Figure 77 the Von Bertalanffy equation is missing a pair of brackets. An informative chapter on 'Fishing yields' would

be improved by some further indication of the statistical significance of trends described. The discussion on the possible competition between eels and other species would perhaps have been better placed in the previous chapter where feeding is described. I found this section confusing because of a number of apparent contradictions, and there was no clear definition of the meaning of competition. If similarity of diet is to be used as evidence of competition then better arguments have to be produced. A more rigorous analysis of the dietary data available for salmonids and eels could have been undertaken; this has been done for sculpins where comparable information and controversy exist (Moyle 1977). Chapter Five 'Fishing methods' is extremely informative; parts, such as those dealing with angling techniques, are almost anecdotal as are sections in the behaviour chapter. I do not mean this critically, as this approach enhances rather than detracts from the appeal of the book. The last three chapters are 'Eel culture and live storage', 'Diseases, parasites and injuries' and 'Trade and processing'. I did not enjoy these as much as the preceding chapters but this probably only reflects my own field of interest. The yardstick by which to assess this book is to compare it with other texts, such as Sinha & Jones (1975), Bertin (1956) and Usui (1974) on eels. On this basis it appears in a very favourable light. The enormous detail provided on all aspects, together with the thorough bibliography (one notable omission being Sinha & Jones 1975) make this an excellent treatment which must be recommended to anyone interested in fish and fisheries. The Greenwoods deserve our congratulations for the task they have performed in translating and editing the book and I am sure 'The eel' will be the standard work for many years to come. Bertin, L. 1956. Eels a biological study. CleaverHurne, London. 192 pp. Moyle, P. B. 1977. In defense of sculpins. Fisheries (Bethesda) 2: 20-23. Sinha, V. R. P. & J. W. Jones. 1975. The European freshwater eel. Liverpool University Press. 146 pp. Usui, A. Eel culture. 1974. Fishing News (Books), London. 186 pp. Kenneth O'Hara University o f Liverpool

D. L. Soltz & R J. Naiman. 1978. The natural history of native fishes in the Death Valley System. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Science Series 30.76 pp. (US) $ 7.50. The springs and streams of the Death Valley System (California and Nevada) have for some time been the center of a classic environmental controversy. Should the limited water in the system be developed for human consumption or should it be reserved for some obscure endemic organisms, including a few small fishes? Strong feelings have been expressed on both sides of the controversy. I can remember reading an editorial in a Nevada newspaper suggesting that the application of rotenone to springs containing pupfish (Cyprinodon) would be a good solution to the problem, as well as seeing numerous 'save-the-pupfish' bumper stickers in California. Although recent court decisions have favored the fishes, there has long been a need for a popular, yet detailed and accurate, account that tells why the fishes and the waters they inhabit are worth saving and why biologists find them so fascinating. This publication fills the need admirably. It is concisely written at about the level (and quality) of Scientific American articles and is profusely illustrated (47 figures) with color photographs and line drawings of the fishes, color photographs of the habitats, and numerous diagrams. At the same time it is an up-to-date summary of the knowledge of the fishes and provides, through a judicious bibliography, good access to the pre-1977 literature. It also contains many previously unpublished observations by the authors and other workers. The publication is divided into chapters on hydrography and history of the Death Valley System, evolution of the fishes, descriptions of the species and their habitats, natural history (including behavior, ecology and physiology), and conservation. Much emphasis is placed on fitting the fish into their ecosystems to point out that they are only the most visible component of these systems. This leads naturally into discussions of the disrupted nature of many aquatic habitats in Death Valley. Indeed, five of the 18 kinds of Death Valley fishes are already extinct and elght others are in trouble. Although the authors largely confine their remarks on conservation to Death Valley fishes, the preservation of these fishes and their habitats becomes even more important when placed in a world-wide perspective. Desert waterways else-

where, such as the fascinating Cuatro Cihegas Basin in Mexico, are rapidly being developed with little regard for endemic life forms. If such trends continue, Death Valley may someday contain the only natural desert aquatic systems in the world! This publication is one I would like to see widely distributed and read, especially in the desert regions of the western United States. Unfortunately, its price seems a bit high for its length, which will probably keep it from being as widely read as it should be. I am sure the price reflects the real costs of printing a book with so many color illustrations (although the printing of many of the photographs is not particularly good). In post-proposition 13 California such costs are supposed to be borne by the readers, which means that only libraries and those who already know and care about desert fishes are likely to buy this publication. For anyone who needs a handy, readable reference on Death Valley fishes, the volume is well worth the price. For more casual readers, such as visitors to Death Valley National Monument, perhaps the authors might consider producing a less expensive edition, without color plates. Peter B. Moyle University of California, Davis