North American Native Fishes: Aquatic Pets from Your Own Back Yard
North American Native Fishes are often overlooked and under appreciated as aquarium specimens. However many of our native fishes, not only make excellent aquarium subjects, but also rival some of the more commonly available tropicals in color and beauty. Combine this with the fact that you can go on your own collecting adventure, often nearby--or perhaps even in your own back yard--and you have a great reason to give a second look at North American Native Fishes as subjects for your next (or first) home aquarium. Among the many native darters, minnows, sunfish and killifish, there's sure to be a North American Native Fish that will suit your "aquaristic" taste.
Brian Skidmore has been keeping a variety of aquarium fish for over 30 years, but more recently, has focused on killifish and North American Native Fishes, especially those native to his home state of Florida. He has participated in numerous collecting trips throughout the State of Florida and other southeastern states, and through this experience has been able to collect, photograph and learn about many of Florida's native fishes. Brian is co-author of the "Florida Collecting Guide, a Guide to the Collection, Identification and Aquarium Maintenance of Florida's Non-Game Fishes", which was recently published in its 3rd edition, and an active member of a number of regional and national aquarium fish societies.
BIO:
Brian Skidmore graduated from the University of South Florida in 1990 with a degree in Biology, and has lived in Florida for 24 years. He has been an environmental consultant for the past 16 years, and manages the Ecological Services division of King Engineering in Tampa, where he specializes in conducting vegetation and wildlife assessments, and development of habitat restoration and management plans for lands throughout the state. Brian has been keeping aquarium fish for over 30 years. While his initial interests were in cichlids, he has kept a wide variety of different types of aquarium fishes. More recently, Brian has focused his attention on killifish and North American Native Fishes, especially those native to Florida. He has participated in numerous collecting trips throughout the State of Florida and other southeastern states, and through this experience has been able to collect, photograph and learn about many of Florida's native fishes. Brian is co-author of the "Florida Collecting Guide, a Guide to the Collection, Identification and Aquarium Maintenance of Florida's Non-Game Fishes", which was recently published in its 3rd edition. Brian is an active member of the Tampa Bay Aquarium Society, Suncoast Killifish Society, American Killifish Association and North American Native Fishes Association.