Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, and adjacent waters.

More than 600 photographs and drawings, including more than 330 photographs in full color, many of them underwater shots, illustrate this field identification guide to the approximately 500 species of fishes that can be found in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico along the Texas and Louisiana coasts. Besides the illustrations, easy-to-follow keys to the identification of the Gulf fishes are provided. A detailed description of each fish is included, giving common and scientific names, identifying characteristics (spine, ray, and scale counts), abundance, importance, habitat, geographic range, and approximate maximum size. An introductory section outlines the ecology and zoogeography of the Gulf and gives a short review of conservation efforts and a brief history of scientific research in the area. An illustrated glossary defines all the technical terms used, and appendices list offshore and deepwater species that may stray onto the continental shelf, freshwater fishes that may be washed into the Gulf, and other valuable information. The northwestern Gulf was selected as the region of major emphasis and study. However, the authors also attempted to include in the guide all the temperate and subtropical fishes of the Gulf as well as the tropical species most likely to be found in the northern Gulf.