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Title: The Most Complete Colored Lexicon of Cichlids: Every Known Cichlid Illustrated in Color by Herbert R. Axelrod ISBN: 0-7938-0026-9 Publisher: TFH Publications Pub. Date: 01 December, 1996 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $100.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3 (4 reviews)
Rating: 2
Summary: Dissapointing and bloated, but has nice pictures
Comment: I got the Lexicon with the idea that it would prove to be a useful identification tool for the various species and strains of cichlids I keep. In that sense, the book is fairly successful - there is a plethora of beautiful photos of many, many species.
There are some serious problems with this book though. The most glaring problem is that Axelrod, in at least two instances, has printed two copies of the same photo and called the specimen two different species !!! He uses the same photo, just reversed, for Aulonucara jacobfreirgei as he does for another Aulonocara sp. Same thing with two species of Apistogramma.
Another dissapointing feature about this book is the information content of the text - there isn't any. Axelrod's favourite topic in the text is himself. Axelrod is more interested in telling us about how important he is and about how much influence he has had on the aquarium hobby than he is in providing useful biological information. Oftentimes the text more resembles the ramblings of a senile old man than a scientific discussion of the species in question. Additionally, the length of the text could have been considerably shortened by replacing the often lengthy sentance about who described the species and when with the taxonomic standard of putting the name of the species' author(s) and the year of description behind the species name.
My final beef with this book is the poor taste of the author is his discussions of the classification of cichlids(actually, rants is probably a better description). Axelrod repeatedly poo-poo's the works of cladists (Axelrod calls them splitters)- challenging cladistic theory is all well and good, but in most instances the criticism is in the form of a snide comment about the other author or their classification. Never is any evidence provided to support Axelrod's claims/criticisms - one is left with the impression that the reason Axelrod opposes a new classification is simply that it is new and different than his ideas. Some of Axelrod's comments border on slander - this should never have been allowed to go to print.
The Lexicon had great potential, but overall it is a bloated, arrogant work. With proper editing it would have been much more useful. If you want a book with nice pictures, than this book is OK - just dont read anything in it :-)
Rating: 4
Summary: A good resource for the cichlid lover.
Comment: I have to admit I was a bit disappointed when I got this book. It wasn't that the book wasn't good, but it simply wasn't incredible, which is what I expected.
The book does a good job of describing the major families of cichlids. Detail is provided about where they come from, what the environment there is like, and general information about the temperment of that family of fish.
Unfortunately there isn't always details about each individual fish.
The book provides a color picture of most fish, although the quaility is sometimes lacking. Unfortunately many fish are featured with only a color drawing, which in my opinion simply doesn't do the fish justice.
This is definetely a great gift for the cichlidiot!
Rating: 4
Summary: An important book for the cichlid specialist
Comment: I purchased the first edition of this book as soon as it was available. It contains photos and drawings of as many cichlid species as possible. It attempts better than any other book to include every known cichlid. If you have purchased a cichlid species and want to identify it or confirm the name you purchased it under, this book is useful. There is a wealth of information on the hobby history of species and husbandry information on some. General information from introductory books about cichlids is seldom repeated here. There are species covered that have not been bred, or even never imported as aquarium subjects. Information will of course be sparse. Well known information about common species is omitted, but little-known information is here . If you will have only one cichlid book in your library, and want basic information, this is not that book. If you want several cichlid books, this should be one of them. And of course if you want the one book with the most cichlid pictures and the most cichlid listings, THIS IS IT. I enjoy Dr. Axelrod's observations and opinions. I've read a number of books and magazine articles by him, and you may have to reread and read other works of his to appreciate them fully. Dr. Axelrod has been very influential in the development and directions the aquarium hobby has taken since the fifties. I would give this book another star, but the first edition which I have is already missing some newly imported species and there are some cichlid photos I'd like to see replaced . That's probably not fair of me since there will always (I hope) be new species introduced to the hobby and better photos taken. If you want a good introductory book, I suggest THE CICHLID AQUARIUM by Dr. Paul Loiselle. I prefer the organization and index of the first edition of Dr. Loiselle's book, but either one is a find for the new cichlid enthusiast.
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Title: Lake Malawi Cichlids: Everything About History, Setting Up an Aquarium, Health Concerns, and Spawning (Complete Pet Owner's Manual) by Mark Phillip Smith, Mark Smith ISBN: 0764115251 Publisher: Barron's Educational Series Pub. Date: 01 October, 2000 List Price(USD): $7.95 |
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Title: Success with Cichlids from Lake Malawi & Tanganyika by Sabine Melke, U. Erich Friese ISBN: 0866224890 Publisher: TFH Publications Pub. Date: 01 June, 1993 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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Title: Konings' Book of Cichlids and All the Other Fishes of Lake Malawi (Guide to Owning A...) by Ad Konings ISBN: 0866225277 Publisher: TFH Publications Pub. Date: 01 July, 1991 List Price(USD): $99.95 |
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