January 22, 2013
Tom Laidig, a member of NMFS's Habitat Ecology Team, has co-authored "A Guide to the Rockfishes, Thornyheads, and Scorpionfishes of the Northeast Pacific", published in 2012 by University of California Press.
Rockfishes and their close relatives are some of the most important fishes on the Pacific Coast. They occur on reefs, around sunken vessels, and among kelp beds, and they often comprise more than 90 percent of all the fishes living in these locations. Rockfishes are favorites of recreational and commercial fishers and have major economic value. They are the frequent subjects of underwater photographers but, in spite of a wide appreciation of their beauty, it is challenging to identify the many closely related species. With over 400 color photographs of both juveniles and adults, this is the first book to present all of these remarkable fishes in one guide and the first devoted solely to their identification. This book will be a valued reference for all who study, fish for, and enjoy this important group of marine fishes.
John L Butler, Milton S. Love, and Tom E. Laidig. 2012. A guide to the rockfish, thornyheads, and scorpionfishes of the northeast Pacific. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA, 185 pp.
Book information from publisher
Contact: SWFSC Fisheries Ecology Division, Habitat Ecology Team