Well, I got excited today for a microsecond when I saw the second edition
of freshwater fishes of south eastern Australia, that was until I opened
it. :-) Nice format, vastly improved photos (it was nice to see many of
Armstrong's as I recognized several that I caught myself which is always
a buzz), and species distribution maps. All a major improvement over the
first edition. It's a pity that they forgot to update many aspects of
the text. It really is sad to think that in ~15 years we really know
nothing more than we did back then (or at least that is the impression
you would get in some cases). I had a read of B. Hansen's book
review in ANGFA Bulletin No. 29. You really are way over generous. :-)
I think the greatest understatement you make is "It is always easy to
find little faults and seeming omissions ....". Conservation status was
really not given much emphasis and I couldn't believe Jerry Allen listed
Ambassis agassizi as being common throughout it's range! The bloody
thing is almost extinct in the Murray-Darling basin, 4/5ths of the area
covered by the book! Maintaining and improving on the tradition of other
books, every single Hypseleotris photo except compressa is wrong!
(Fortunately I've been slack and not sent you that Hypseleotris article
Barry but I will update it soon!) It was nice to see that Helen Larson
is working on the two Pseudogobious beasties (I presume). Some chapters
were certainly more greatly improved upon than others.
I'm sorry to harp and moan, but after being so excited about seeing it, it
really disappoints me to see so many mistakes and a lack of depth of
material. Freshwater fishes of Victoria still makes a farce of this book
interms of content and quality. It really appears as if the editor chose
not to get any external review of the chapters which is a pity.
I'll go away and cry in the corner on my own for a while now. :-(
Tootles
Peter Unmack