Peixes de Costão Rochoso de Santa Catarina,
I. Arvoredo

     Maurício Hostim-Silva, Áthila Bertoncini Andrade, Leonardo Francisco Machado, Leopoldo Cavaleri Gerhardinger, Felippe Alexandre Daros, João Pedro Barreiros and Eduardo Aires de Souza Godoy (Eds.) 2006. UNIVALI edition with VIDAMAR NGO support, Itajaí, SC, Brazil. ISBN 85-7696-009-5 (Portuguese edition). 135 p. R$40.00 (hardcover) peixesdecostao@vidamar.org.br.

         Finally a book on south Brazilian rocky-fishes, showing the high fish biodiversity of Arvoredo Biological Marine Reserve (ABMR). Foreword written by the President of the Brazilian Society of Ichthyology, Dr. Ierecê Lucena Rosa, the book presents an important step in the knowledge of the South Brazilian marine ichthyofauna.

      The book is timely, as it provides meaningful support to regional management strategies, where the costal zone is in demonstrable irregular overgrowth. Although not specifically meant for management applications, the check list presented, as well as the photo-drawing guide are of great utility for many ecology/community studies. The book synthesizes a 10-year research effort, and is organized in several topics, which includes an introduction about the ABMR, a synopses on reef fish ecology, biological adaptations of reef fish, systematics and rocky-shore habitat occupation.

      A check list and menaced species are also pointed out, as well as an explanation of how-to-use the guide, glossary and index. A total of 84 species are presented in color underwater photos, common names are given in Portuguese, Spanish and English, with a detailed description of the most important distinctive features, pointed in schematic drawings of each species; behavior, feeding habits, reaction to divers and distribution are also reported. The book is a strong tool to accurately identifying the most common observed fish species when diving along South Brazil. This guide-book can surely be widely used in Brazil, especially to introduce young scientists and the general public in the rocky-shore fish ecology. Scuba divers will also benefit from this tool, which provides a practical way for further studying and identifying fishes.