A beautifully illustrated guide to the diverse and numerous freshwater fish species in Virginia.

In Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes of Virginia, the foremost experts on Commonwealth fishes bring their decades of field experience to readers, offering a complete reference to the fishes of the entire state of Virginia. Gathering information that until now could only be found scattered across numerous reference works and online databases, this book provides everything you need to know to identify fish families and species in the Virginia region.

Covering how to collect, handle, observe, conserve, and protect these unique fishes, the book's key features include

• more than 175 vibrant, full-color illustrations, set side by side with descriptions of each fish
• helpful line drawings that depict the most reliable diagnostic characteristics for field identifications (e.g., snout shape, pigment patterns, mouth morphology)
• descriptions of Virginia's freshwater habitats
• examples of incredible fish spawning and feeding behavior
• tips on observing fish in the wild and in captivity
• a chapter on the taxonomy of family and common names of the fish species most common throughout Virginia
• up-to-date fish distribution maps
• a complete glossary of terms

Providing a fascinating foray into the wonders of the Commonwealth's swimmers, Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes of Virginia will appeal to scientists, naturalists, teachers, native fish aquarists, students, anglers, and fish collectors.

Paul E. Bugas, Jr., is a fisheries manager with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Corbin D. Hilling is a graduate student at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Val Kells is a coauthor and illustrator of A Field Guide to Coastal Fishes: From Maine to Texas and A Field Guide to Coastal Fishes: From Alaska to California. She is the illustrator of Tunas and Billfishes of the World. Michael J. Pinder is an aquatic biologist with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Derek A. Wheaton is a hatchery tech for Conservation Fisheries, Inc. Donald J. Orth is the Thomas H. Jones Professor in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Joseph R. Tomelleri is the illustrator of Freshwater Fishes of North America, Volume 1: Petromyzontidae to Catostomidae, among other publications.