Field Guide to Fishes of the Chesapeake Bay

Field Guide to Fishes of the Chesapeake Bay will enrich the time anyone spends on the waters of the Chesapeake, from the freshwater head of tide on the rivers to the salty Virginia Capes and the Atlantic. The science is solid, as it should be from two veteran Bay ichthyologists, but it also carries an engaging human touch that brings each species to life through brief but informative paragraphs on where and how often it turns up in the Chesapeake, what it eats, and why it is important ecologically, commercially, and recreationally. This field guide will certainly find a place on my skiff. -- John Page Williams, Senior Naturalist, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Fishes of the Chesapeake Bay is an incredibly valuable and overdue update on the myriad species that now inhabit North America's largest estuary. This work is a must have for anglers, naturalists, scientists, outdoors people and anyone who just loves the Chesapeake Bay. Authors (and scientists) Murdy and Musick should be congratulated for such a comprehensive effort and the illustrations of artist Val Kells are nothing short of extraordinary. -- Dennis Doyle Bay Weekly Another outstanding field guide illustrated by Val Kells. This guide's illustrations and distinctive diagnostic characteristics are accompanied by life history information taken by the authors from their previous excellent text, Fishes of Chesapeake Bay. The dichotomous keys allow anyone to identify a fish to the family level and then the key to each of the families to the species level... A must for professionals, fishermen and the public who live in this area and adjacent areas and want to identify and learn about the 211 fishes described in detail. -- Ron Kernehan, M.S., Ichthyologist and current research leader on studies of the inshore fishes of Lower Delaware Bay and the Delaware Inland Bays

A guide to the Chesapeake's fishes. Suitable for both anglers and students of the Bay, it includes detailed descriptions of physical characteristics, range, occurrence in the Bay, reproduction, diet, and statistics from fisheries research.The only comprehensive field guide to the Chesapeake's fishes, this book is an indispensable resource for both anglers and students of the Bay. Vivid illustrations by Val Kells complement the expertise of researchers Edward O. Murdy and John A. Musick. They describe fishes that inhabit waters ranging from low-salinity estuaries to the point where the Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. Key features of this field guide include: full-color illustrations of more than 200 species; text that is presented adjacent to illustrations for easy reference; detailed descriptions of physical characteristics, range, occurrence in the Bay, reproduction, diet, and statistics from fisheries research; spot illustrations that highlight critical features of certain fish; illustrations of juveniles when they look different from adults; and appendices that include identification keys. Formatted as a compact field guide for students, scientists, researchers, and fishermen, Field Guide to Fishes of the Chesapeake Bay should be a standard passenger on any boat that plies the Chesapeake's waters.