THE EUROPEAN FRESHWATER EEL. By V.R.P. Sinha and J.W. Jones with a chapter on eel fisheries by R.S. Pritchett.

1975 1st edition. 8vo (160 x 240mm). Ppxiv,146. B/w photographs and illustrations, bibliography. Dark green cloth, spine titled in gilt.

"In recent years, the authors of this study have made notable contributions to the intensive research which has been carried out on the eel, and their conclusions, together with an appraisal of the work of many others, are here presented for the first time in one volume. Every aspect of the eel's life cycle is covered; the larval stage in the ocean, the 'yellow' and 'silver' stages in fresh water, and the age of sexual maturity when the eel returns to the sea. The spawning grounds, and the distribution, growth, and food intake of the eel are examined, particular attention being paid to age estimation, and to the long-held belief that the eel is the worst enemy of salmonids. While work on this last topic is by no means complete, the authors believe that the results of their investigation go a long way to exonerating the eel as the villain of the salmon rivers. ...The final chapter of this work therefore investigates the widely ranging methods of catching eels, and is certain to be of great help to professional and amateur alike in the vital contemporary task of harvesting wisely all possible natural food resources."