Shore fishes AIDGAP
PDF eBook
Shore fishes AIDGAP is an identification guide to the fishes found at the seashore, including in rockpools and on beaches between high tide and low tide.
- Identification taken to species level
- Illustrated with line drawings throughout
- No specimen preparation needed
The shore is an important habitat for fishes, particularly in algal-rich pools at low tide. Some species spend most of their lives between the tides, while others use low tide zones as a nursery ground. Although rocky shores generally have the richest fish fauna, fishes also inhabit sandy or muddy shores. Good places to look include pools behind a sand bar and at the foot of breakwaters and pier pilings.
The keys in this guide cover 55 species of shore fishes. A master key to the major groups leads on to 18 individual keys, enabling identification to species. These detailed keys cover eels, sandeels, cod fishes, clingfishes, pipefishes, wrasses, blennies, gobies, flatfishes and many more. However the guide does not cover those inshore and oceanic fishes which occasionally become stranded on the shore.
Many identification characters are easy to see on live specimens, but sometimes a hand lens or low-powered microscope is needed. Careful use of standard equipment of a net and tray is sufficient for capturing fish without causing stress or damage.
This guide is part of Field Studies Council’s AIDGAP series (Aids to Identification in Difficult Groups of Animals and Plants). The aim of AIDGAP series is to produce accessible keys suitable for non-specialists from age 16+. Although written by specialists, all AIDGAP guides go through field tests in draft form. As with all guides in the series, the Shore fishes AIDGAP was tested extensively before publication, by beginners and specialists alike. The author has revised the keys in the light of the testers’ experience.