Rodney Swims with the Dinosaurs
Self-published — Steve Baines, illustrated by Gavin Ireland. Rodney takes young readers on a prehistoric time-travel adventure to explore the ancient origins and ancestors of Australia's native freshwater fish.
All Fish Books
A comprehensive reading list of rainbowfish, New Guinea and general Australian freshwater fish books — old and new, in and out of print.
Rodney Rainbowfish Books
ANGFA member Steve Baines has written a brilliant series of children's educational books featuring “Rodney the Rainbowfish,” beautifully illustrated by Gavin Ireland. This engaging educational series follows Rodney the Rainbowfish and his aquatic friends as they navigate the freshwater creeks of Australia. Through fun and imaginative storytelling, the books teach young readers about the critical importance of waterway conservation, the environmental threat of invasive species, and the fascinating prehistoric history of Australia's native fish. The books can be purchased online via rodneyrainbow.com.au ↗.
Rodney Meets the "Space" Invaders
Self-published — Steve Baines, illustrated by Gavin Ireland. Rodney and his creek friends face an environmental threat when invasive pest species—the "space invaders"—disrupt their local ecosystem, teaching children about the dangers of releasing non-native fish.
Rainbow Jewels
Self-published — Steve Baines, illustrated by Gavin Ireland. Rainbow Jewels teaches children to appreciate the stunning natural diversity of freshwater life, reminding young readers that every single living creature is a priceless treasure that adds to the vast wealth of our beautiful planet.
I Believe in Rainbows
Self-published — Steve Baines, illustrated by Gavin Ireland. The debut book introduces Rodney the Rainbowfish and his native aquatic friends in Sandy Creek as they band together to clean up their home after a major pollution event, highlighting the importance of waterway conservation.
Rainbowfish Books
Rainbowfishes: Their Care & Keeping in Captivity
2011, ANGFA Open-Access Digital Edition — Adrian R. Tappin. Spanning 576 pages, this masterfully detailed free online guide bridges wild geographic distribution data with exact aquarium husbandry parameters. The best book ever done on Rainbowfishes and their aquarium care.
Aqualog: All Rainbows and Related Families
ANGFA book review2002, A.C.S. / Verlag A.C.S. — Harro Hieronimus. A legendary, bilingual pictorial reference diagnostic manual featuring nearly 700 photographs tracking specific wild catchment coordinates.
Rainbow Fish: A Complete Pet Owner's Manual
2000, Barron's Educational Series — Gunther Schmida. An internationally distributed handbook detailing breeding and water chemistry parameters for keeping Melanotaeniidae.
Rainbowfishes: In Nature and in the Aquarium
ANGFA book review1995, Tetra Press — Gerald R. Allen. A landmark 180-page global classic documenting remote collection locales of Australia and West New Guinea. An excellent book, even if a bit out of date relative to all the new species described since.
Rainbowfishes of Australia and Papua New Guinea
ANGFA book review1980, T.F.H. Publications — Gerald R. Allen and Norbert Cross. The ultimate historic monograph for the family Melanotaeniidae, complete with exact meristic keys.
Freshwater Fishes of New Guinea
Freshwater Fishes of the Fly River Papua New Guinea
ANGFA book review2008, Nokomis Publications — Gerald R. Allen, Andrew W. Storey, and Marskon Yarrao. A meticulous biological reference detailing more than 100 species in the island's largest river system. It includes accounts and pictures for most species found across southern New Guinea, an excellent guide.
Freshwater Fishes of the Timika Region, New Guinea
ANGFA book review2000, PT Freeport Indonesia/Tropics Nature — Gerald R. Allen. A highly targeted scientific guide focusing on the unique, gradient-adapted freshwater fauna of West Papua around Timika.
Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of New Guinea
ANGFA book review1991, Christensen Research Institute — Gerald R. Allen. The ultimate benchmark field text for the island, establishing primary taxonomic identification keys.
The Fishes of New Guinea
ANGFA book review1967, Department of Agriculture, Stock and Fisheries — Ian S.R. Munro. A historic 651-page text acting as the mid-century taxonomical foundation for the region.
Australian Freshwater Fish Books
Carp in Australia
2026, CSIRO Publishing — Paul Humphries and Katherine Doyle. An exhaustive ecological study mapping the history, global spread, and environmental impacts of Cyprinus carpio across south-eastern waterways.
The Murray Cod (Maccullochella peelii)
2024, Self-Published — Stuart J. Rowland. A major text outlining a compelling plea for river rehabilitation, detailing foundational biology and hatchery techniques compiled from over three decades of research.
Fishes of the Murray–Darling Basin (2nd Edition)
2023, Murray–Darling Basin Authority — Mark Lintermans. The thoroughly revised and updated second edition of the definitive textbook on the Basin's aquatic systems, integrating modern conservation frameworks and updated ecological keys. An excellent book to own.
The Life and Times of the Murray Cod
2023, CSIRO Publishing — Paul Humphries. A sweeping natural history and biological deep-dive covering the species from First Nations creation stories through to modern recreational angling impacts.
Photography of Australian Freshwater Life
2019, Self-Published / Blurb — Gunther Schmida. A behind-the-scenes masterclass detailing custom aquarium setups, lighting configurations, and trade secrets for wildlife imagery.
A Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of the Kimberley
2018, Murdoch University / MAGNT — James Shelley, Matthew Le Feuvre, David Morgan, et al.. A 262-page regional field guide charting northwestern species, detailing dozens of highly localized endemics discovered on remote gorge expeditions.
Guide to the Galaxiid Fishes of Australia
2018, Nokomis Publications — Rudie H. Kuiter. A specialized taxonomy manual completely dedicated to the Southern Hemisphere's Gondwanan galaxiids.
Victoria's Freshwater Fishes Part 1 & 2
2018 — Rudie H. Kuiter. A heavily illustrated digital guide highlighting localized native variations, highly valued by native aquarists.
Freshwater Fishes of Australia - 2
2017, Self-Published — Gunther Schmida. Drawing on over 60 years of field experience, this text acts as a comprehensive photographic archive of rainbowfish, blue-eyes, and hardyheads.
Ecology of Australian Freshwater Fishes
ANGFA book review2015, CSIRO Publishing — Edited by Paul Humphries and Keith Walker. The premier modern academic textbook addressing the evolutionary history and ecology of native families.
A Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Western Australia's Pilbara Province
2014, Murdoch University — David L. Morgan, Mark G. Allen, Stephen J. Beatty, et al.. A compact, highly specialized regional guide tracking the unique inland fish fauna of the Pilbara. It covers everything from the De Grey to the Irwin Rivers, including detail on Australia's only obligate vertebrate cave stygofauna (like the Blind Cave Eel).
Pictorial Guide to Victoria's Freshwater Fishes
ANGFA book review2013, Aquatic Photographics — Rudie H. Kuiter. A comprehensive, 178-page photographic atlas charting all native and exotic species within the state. It is highly valued for utilizing high-definition images instead of traditional keys to identify localized color forms and cryptic species complexes.
A Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes, Crayfishes & Mussels of South-Western Australia
ANGFA book review2011, SERCUL / Murdoch University — David L. Morgan, Stephen J. Beatty, Michael W. Klunzinger, et al.. The defining benchmark handbook for the south-west. It documents all known facts regarding highly endemic and ancient species like the Salamanderfish and Pouched Lamprey, alongside identification benchmarks for local decapod crustaceans and bivalves.
Desert Fishing Lessons: Adventures in Australia's Rivers
2011, University of Western Australia Press — Adam Kerezsy. An engaging natural history and travel memoir tracking an aquatic ecologist's journeys through remote, arid-zone waterways.
Freshwater Fishes: A Wild Australia Guide
2008, Pascal Press — Gunther Schmida. A compact, highly accessible introductory field taxonomy handbook published for educational use.
Fishes of the Murray–Darling Basin (1st Edition)
2007, Murray–Darling Basin Commission — Mark Lintermans. The historic first book entirely devoted to the Basin's native and alien fish fauna.
Freshwater Fishes of the Greater Brisbane Region
2007, Queensland Museum — Scott Cutmore and Dr Kevin Warburton. A highly detailed, color-illustrated pocket guide profiling the ~50 native and introduced freshwater species found across Brisbane's waterways.
Freshwater Fishes of North-Eastern Australia
ANGFA book review2004, CSIRO Publishing — Brad Pusey, Mark Kennard, and Angela Arthington. A data-heavy biological reference text capturing life histories, environmental needs, and distributions across tropical Queensland. This is the best book produced so far in terms of the extreme comprehensive information included on each species, a must have.
Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of the Clarence, Richmond and Tweed Catchments
2005, Natureview Publishing — Jason Coughran. A highly specialized regional field manual detailing the identification, habitats, and ecological profiles of northern New South Wales coastal river fish populations.
Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia
ANGFA book review 1 ANGFA book review 22002, Western Australian Museum — Gerald R. Allen, S.H. Midgley, and M. Allen. The scientific baseline for overall native freshwater fish identification across the continent.
Fish and Fish Habitat of the Queensland Murray-Darling Basin
2002, Queensland Department of Primary Industries — David Moffatt and Jo Voller. A critical, northern-basin specific ecological survey detailing the riverine hydrology and refugia waterholes of Queensland's catchment zones.
Fishes of the Lake Eyre Catchment of Central Australia
ANGFA book review2000, Queensland Department of Primary Industries — Rob Wager and Peter J. Unmack. A specialized biological survey focusing on the desert-adapted arid survival strategies of central fishes.
Freshwater Fishes of South-Eastern Australia (2nd Edition)
ANGFA book review1996, Reed Books — Edited by Robert M. McDowall. The heavily revised and expanded second edition, integrating detailed range mapping and new color photographs.
Freshwater Fishes of Far North Queensland
1995, Department of Primary Industries — Brett Herbert and John Peeters. A localized state bulletin providing specific taxonomic profiles on the distinct tropical species of Cape York.
Biological Information for Management of Native Freshwater Fish in Victoria
1990, Government Printer / Arthur Rylah Institute — John D. Koehn and William G. O'Connor. A data-driven government research text mapping instream habitat and spawning requirements.
Tasmanian Freshwater Fishes
1990, University of Tasmania — Wayne Fulton. Published as Fauna of Tasmania Handbook No. 7, this is the premier scientific regional text focusing on Tasmania's highly endemic galaxiids.
Freshwater Fishes of the Northern Territory
ANGFA book review1989, Northern Territory Museum — Helen K. Larson and Keith C. Martin. An essential tropical handbook detailing the distinct freshwater species across northern waterways.
Freshwater Fishes of Australia
ANGFA book review1989, T.F.H. Publications — Gerald R. Allen. A bridge text from a major aquarium publisher providing deep-dive biological profiles alongside vibrant aquarium photography.
Australian Freshwater Fishes: Biology and Management
ANGFA book review1984, J.R. Merrick — John R. Merrick and Gunther E. Schmida. The legendary "Blue Book" a monumental 409-page scientific cornerstone that bridged academic ichthyology with the aquarium hobby. This book really set the scene for our state of knowledge at the time. A great reference book still.
Australian Native Fishes for Aquariums
ANGFA book review1984 — John R. Merrick and Ray Leggett. The foundational holy grail for domestic native fish husbandry, combining strict science with tank parameters. Every native fish keeper should own this book.
A Guide to the Freshwater Fish of Victoria
1983, Department of Conservation / Government Printer — Phillip L. Cadwallader and Gary N. Backhouse. The legendary, foundational regional manual for the state, establishing baseline distribution mappings. Quite detailed species accounts.
A Field Guide to Inland Fishes of Western Australia
ANGFA book review1982, Western Museum — Gerald R. Allen. The original, pioneering western scientific field manual charting remote desert and Kimberley aquatic regions.
Freshwater Fishes of South-Eastern Australia (1st Edition)
ANGFA book review1980, Reed Books — Edited by Robert M. McDowall. The original first edition compiling multi-author entries to serve naturalists with precise diagnostic keys.
Australian Freshwater Fishes Illustrated: An Illustrated Field Guide
ANGFA book review1978, Thomas Nelson — John S. Lake. Published posthumously in the Nelson Field Guides series, this pocketable identification manual served as Lake's final text. It highlights just how far we have come since that time.
Freshwater Fishes and Rivers of Australia
1971, Thomas Nelson — John S. Lake. John Lake's masterpiece expanding early bulletin work into a foundational nationwide book.
Freshwater Fish of the Murray-Darling River System: The Native and Introduced Fish Species
1967, NSW Chief Secretary's Department — John S. Lake. Published as State Fisheries Research Bulletin No. 7, mapping early breeding discoveries of inland river systems.
Native Freshwater Fishes of Australia
ANGFA book review1959, Jacaranda Press — Gilbert P. Whitley. The mid-century baseline for modern native taxonomy written by the Australian Museum's legendary curator.
