Symbiosis in Fishes

Symbiosis in Fishes provides comprehensive coverage of the biology of partnerships between fishes and invertebrates, ascending the phylogenetic scale, from luminescent bacteria, sponges and coelenterates to molluscs, crustaceans and echinoderms. Both facultative and obligatory partnerships are reviewed with emphasis on the behavioral, ecological and evolutionary aspects of fish symbiosis. Each of the eight chapters of this book focuses on a different group of partners. The structure, physiology and anti-predatory strategies of each group are described to provide the necessary background for the understanding of their partnerships with fishes. The formation of the associations, the degree of partner specificity and its regulation, as well as the benefits and costs for the fishes and their associates, communication between partners and their possible co-evolution are discussed in each chapter.

This is the first attempt to critically review in a single volume all associations of fishes with invertebrates based on the latest studies in these areas, together with studies published many years ago and little cited since then.

Symbiosis in Fishes provides a huge wealth of information that will be of great use and interest to many life scientists including fish biologists, ecologists, ethologists, aquatic scientists, physiologists and evolutionary biologists. It is hoped that the contents of the book will stimulate many to further research, to fill in the gaps in our knowledge in this fascinating and important subject. Libraries in all universities and research establishments where biological sciences are studied and taught should have copies of this exciting book.

Professor Ilan Karplus is a retired Senior Researcher of the Aquaculture Research Unit of the Volcani Research Center, Israel. Over the last 30 years, Ilan has extensively studied interspecific associations between gobies and alpheid shrimps, predator recognition among reef fishes, and social control of growth in fishes and crustaceans. Ilan developed new techniques for edible and ornamental fish guidance by training, social facilitation and by taking advantage of innate behavioral responses to allow sorting by computer vision.