Synopsis:
Which species of sharks live within 500 nautical miles of North American shores, and what do we know about them? José I. Castro's The Sharks of North America is the first comprehensive book in sixty years to address these questions, and it does so with unrivaled authority and aesthetic detail.
The 135 comprehensive species accounts summarize the present knowledge. Each begins with the etymology of a species' common and scientific names, followed by the description, identifying characteristics, geographic range, biology, reproduction, location of nurseries, growth and longevity, and relation to humans. These accounts synthesize decades of research and first-hand examination of sharks collected in fisheries and research operations across the continent. They are thorough, current, and dispel many myths and misunderstandings found in the scientific and popular literature.
Each species is illustrated by one or more original profile figures in color, augmented by images of the snout, upper and lower teeth, and dermal denticles. The stunning color illustrations have been painted directly from freshly dead sharks or Castro's photographs of live or fresh specimens. Their anatomical accuracy and true-to-life coloration are unmatched. The detailed pen and ink drawings of the snout and teeth are crucial aids to species identification, as are the exquisite scanning electron microphotographs of dermal denticles.
The Sharks of North America will serve as the standard reference on sharks for the twenty-first century and is certain to become the primary source of information for anyone interested in sharks, from professional biologists and conservationists to students, informed laypersons, and fishermen.
About the Author:
José I. Castro is a fisheries biologist with NOAA and a senior scientist at Mote Marine Laboratory. He received a B.S. from the University of Miami and a Ph.D. in Zoology from Clemson University. He is a shark specialist who has conducted research on different aspects of shark biology including their reproductive biology and their use of nursery areas, and has published numerous scientific articles and the well-known book The Sharks of North American Waters. He has been active in the management of shark fisheries and the conservation of sharks and lectures often at universities and research institutions throughout the world. Prior to his present position he worked as a shark biologist for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in the Caribbean.
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