The Cichlid Fishes: Nature's Grand Experiment In Evolution

Confined almost without exception to the southern hemisphere, cichlids are perchlike lake- and river-dwelling fish that have long been an important source of food for humans--and that, in places such as Lake Tanganyika, are so overfished that they are in danger of disappearing. Outside the southern hemisphere, the cichlids, which number unknown thousands of species, are known mostly to tropical-fish enthusiasts through a colorful representative, the freshwater angelfish, though tilapia are increasingly farmed as a food source in Asia and North America. Those tilapia can grow to huge size, writes authority George Barlow, as can other cichlids. "Even an angelfish," he notes, "is apt to grow too large for the home aquarium and to devour tidbits like guppies and neon tetras, to the dismay of the aquarist."

In this engaging and often humorous survey of the cichlids, Barlow addresses aspects of the fishes' natural history and behavior, among them their well-known and often advantageous aggressiveness (one species is named for legendary boxer Jack Dempsey), peculiar mating habits, and unusual evolutionary adaptations (among them nearly prehensile internal jaws and the use of vocalizations in displays of hostility and courtship). Barlow also discusses larger issues of speciation, gene flow, and conservation. Detailed yet accessible to general readers, Barlow's book summarizes the work of a distinguished career. --Gregory McNamee