Inland Fishes of Washington State

This new, updated, and greatly expanded edition of Inland Fishes of Washington (first published in 1979) describes all the known native and introduced fishes found in freshwater habitats of Washington State, including most of the fishes of Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia. The authors have created a valuable reference for the general public, biologists, teachers, students, and environmentalists.

An overview of Washington’s topography and natural provinces clarifies the influence of geographical, historical, economic, and political forces on the existence of freshwater fishes today. This wide-ranging study gives balanced coverage to nearly everything that is known about the appearance, distribution, growth, reproduction, consumption, and survival of these fish. Salmon, perhaps the most prized fish in the Northwest, are here placed within the context of the many other mutually supporting species that together make up the ecological network that sustains them all. Forces impacting fish populations - the presence of non-native and introduced fish, historical and contemporary urban development, the management of water resources - are also discussed.

The book provides instruction on the basic methods of fish identification, with keys and illustrations that bring together the traits and forms most useful in distinguishing species and subspecies. The keys follow a simple arrangement that progressively illustrates and discusses traits distinctive to each fish.

The valuable information presented here benefits from the authors’ many years of firsthand experience in the field, their years of study and research, and their awareness of and access to the best investigative work being done today by biologists and researchers across the country.