Volume 58 Published on 24 September 2003
Here is the first book dealing with all native or introduced freshwater fishes and crustaceans of New Caledonia. It is intended for naturalists, teachers, researchers, fishermen or aquarists. Its objective is also to be a tool for the managers in order to contribute to the conservation of aquatic communities. The biodiversity of Caledonian freshwaters is important: 64 fish species and 37 decapoda crustacean species are counted. Endemic freshwater species represent more than 24,8% in New Caledonia (17,2% for the fishes and 37,8% for the crustaceans). Various approaches are proposed to contribute to the identification of the species: keys, descriptive cards and vernacular names. The cards inform about description, biology, ecology and distribution of each species, particularly in the Pacific area, using more than 110 original photographies or drawings and as many detailed map. A chapter deals also with the history of local ichthyology and species introductions.
