Source: QLD Newsletter, Volume 1 No. 2, August 1985, page 4. Authors: Merrick J.R. and Schmida G.E., publ. by J. Merrick NSW, 1984, 409pp, $33 (from the author). Reviewer: Glenn Leiper. View original scan (PDF)

This is the long-awaited ‘bible’ of Australian freshwater fish and, if anything, serves to show us how little we still know about certain fish: the bank of information on many fish seems to have increased little since John Lake’s book of 1978. But as an information source for beginning aquarists it is worthwhile reading.

There is plenty of information regarding the ‘table fishes’ such as Murray Cod and Yellow Belly owing to research grants having been channelled in that direction.

The section on the prettier ones such as rainbows and blue-eyes is relatively detailed but some of the less attractive species such as gobies and perchlets are obviously in need of some research. In that respect, the book certainly pinpoints species of which little is known.

The distribution system used is the same as used by Lake in 1978 but here it is really unsatisfactory. Every dozen or so pages a map showing drainage divisions is used, but each fish’s distribution is not mapped! All we see is the same barren map being repeated! A more suitable system would have been to shade in the area where distribution is known.

The introduction is good, providing food for thought, but could easily have been enhanced by diagrams, line drawings and maps. Also the presentation of information about each species could have been organised more effectively to make for easier reading, eg, under headings of, say, Distribution, Size, Food, etc.

Even though my comments in the main may appear negative, I still see it as a worthwhile, interesting book boasting excellent (in the main) photography by Gunther Schmida.