General Ichthyology

Contents: Preface. 1. Evolutionary Biology. 2. Origin of Fishes. 3. Evolution of Air-breathing Habit in Vertebrates. 4. Morphometrics of the Respiratory Organs of the Indian Green Snake-Headed Fish, Channa punctata. 5. Evolutionary Transformations of the Respiratory Islets of Air-breathing Organs in Teleostean Fishes. 6. Chloride Cells in the Gills of Freshwater Teleosts. 7. Respiratory Surface Area Metabolism Relationship in Air-Breathing Fishes of India. 8. Water/Air Transition in Biology. 9. Structure of the Heart of Amphipnous cuchia (Ham.) Amphipnoidae Pieces. 10. Fine Structure of the Respiratory Organs of the Climbing Perch Anabas testudineus (Pisces: Anabantidae). 11. Cytology of Macrophages in Normal and Mercury-Treated Air-Breathing Fish, Channa punctata (Bloch). 12. Oxygen Uptake in Teleostean Fishes. 13. Phylogeny. Epilogue. Respiratory Properties of the Blood and Control of Breathing in Certain Indian Air-Breathing Fishes. References. Author Index. Subject Index.

The book on “General Ichthyology” deals with air-breathing fishes which have evolved on several occasions. Evolution of the first bony fishes during the late Silurian and Devonian period produced two new features, lobe fins and the lung fishes.

Animals inhabiting the water/air interface show many morphological and physiological adaptations designed with different types of function in that unique environments. In the present age there are new challenges. These include climatic change and contamination of the environment by anthropogenic activities.