Rating: 
Summary: Keep in mind it is a pocket guide.
Review: As long as you keep in mind that the book is under the PocketExpert Guide series then you will know what you are getting. The book does have over 500 + popular marine species but doesnt give more than very general information about each species. There are also some listings with no other information than it's photo, scientific name and its tank suitablity rank. In conclusion, its a good general book but I'll probably look for another fish book.
Rating: 
Summary: The Bible
Review: I love this book. So far it contained all the fishes that I have seen at my local fish store and the best feature of the book is that it rates each fish from 1 to 5 where 5 indicates that it is an easy fish to keep alive in the aquarium, and 1 means it is hard to keep alive in an aquarium... This is great for me because I don't have the best track record with keep my fish alive and want to only buy fish which are easy to keep. The notes about each fish are really good to. It is like having 20 aquarium guru's giving you their experiences with each fish. Also, if you have a reef setup, it tells you if each fish is reef safe.
Rating:
Summary: I love this book
Review: I love this book. So far it contained all the fishes that I have seen at my local fish store and the best feature of the book is that it rates each fish from 1 to 5 where 5 indicates that it is an easy fish to keep alive in the aquarium, and 1 means it is hard to keep alive in an aquarium... This is great for me because I don't have the best track record with keep my fish alive and want to only buy fish which are easy to keep. The notes about each fish are really good to. It is like having 20 aquarium guru's giving you their experiences with each fish. Also, if you have a reef setup, it tells you if each fish is reef safe.
Rating: 
Summary: Value for your aquarium dollar
Review: Interested in setting up a Fish Only Marine aquarium? Concerned about fish that will be compatible with the invertebrates in your Reef aquarium? Want to expand your knowledge beyond the 10 basic marine fish that your local aquarium store has in stock? Then this is a good book to consider. Loaded with full color pictures (on glossy paper)of marine fish, the book gives a concise summary of hundreds of these salt water inhabitants. The book itself is easier to handle than the smaller dimension Baensch Atlas and the print is larger. And the price is good value for your aquarium dollar. Bring this book with you to the aquarium store, and when you see that incredibly beautiful marine fish that you have never seen before, a quick read in this book will give you some of the information you will need to make an informed decision as to whether this fish will fare well in your aquarium at home.
Rating: 
Summary: A must-have reference for all saltwater hobbyists.
Review: Microcosm Publishing proudly launches its new PocketExpert Guide series for aquarists and underwater naturalists with Marine Fishes by Scott W. Michael. Designed as a quick but authoritative reference on the 500-plus fish species seen and kept by marine aquarisits, this first PocketExpert is a must-have reference for all saltwater hobbyists and professionals. Includes for each species: a full-color photograph, scientific and common names, maximum length, minimum aquarium size, foods & feeding recommendations, aquarium suitability index, reef aquarium compatibility, and captive care advice.
Rating:
Summary: excellent choice
Review: The photos are beautiful and the information is extremely helpful.
Rating:
Summary: The Picky Specifics Need Work
Review: This book has some very good features and will almost certainly be useful to beginning and even intermediate marine aquarists. It has entries on most of the fishes likely to be found in the average aquarium retail shop accompanied by truly excellent photos for each species. The book's best feature is its reef compatibility entry which details which fishes are totally reef safe, which will eat soft corals or Large Polyped Stony corals but not Small Polyped Stony corals, and which will simply devour every invertebrate in the tank. I also like the rating (from 1 to 5) of each species' ease of maintenance in the captive environment, though the reader must always keep in mind that this is a general rating and that numerous variables (collection methods, shipping speed, water quality and live food availability, etc., etc.) can alter such a rating considerably. As a marine hobbyist, I would say this is a good book. As a marine biologist, however, I would caution the reader to beware of some misspelling of scientific names (the genus Macolor is listed as Malcolor, and there are a few others), the fact that the "maximum lengths" listed for many of the species are rather small according to other sources (also keep in mind that healthy fishes never truly stop growing), and the very general home range listed for each species (the "Indo-Pacific" is rather vague, to my mind). That said, I have gotten much use out of this book, and find it a good reference when the cautions mentioned above are held in mind.
Rating:
Summary: The Picky Specifics Need Work
Review: This book has some very good features and will almost certainly be useful to beginning and even intermediate marine aquarists. It has entries on most of the fishes likely to be found in the average aquarium retail shop accompanied by truly excellent photos for each species. The book's best feature is its reef compatibility entry which details which fishes are totally reef safe, which will eat soft corals or Large Polyped Stony corals but not Small Polyped Stony corals, and which will simply devour every invertebrate in the tank. I also like the rating (from 1 to 5) of each species' ease of maintenance in the captive environment, though the reader must always keep in mind that this is a general rating and that numerous variables (collection methods, shipping speed, water quality and live food availability, etc., etc.) can alter such a rating considerably. As a marine hobbyist, I would say this is a good book. As a marine biologist, however, I would caution the reader to beware of some misspelling of scientific names (the genus Macolor is listed as Malcolor, and there are a few others), the fact that the "maximum lengths" listed for many of the species are rather small according to other sources (also keep in mind that healthy fishes never truly stop growing), and the very general home range listed for each species (the "Indo-Pacific" is rather vague, to my mind). That said, I have gotten much use out of this book, and find it a good reference when the cautions mentioned above are held in mind.
Rating:
Summary: Start here!
Review: This book is a great start when trying to decide what marine fish to buy. It is handy to take with you to the fish store. There are certainly other great sources of more comprehensive & definitive information about specific fish, but anyone looking to buy saltwater fish should start here.The author, Scott W. Michael, is a renowned expert in this field. He has more than 25 years experience as an aquarist and diver. He has written several other books and contributes regularly to Aquarium Fish Magazine. I'm sure lokking forward to Ron Shimek's invetebrate guide. It should be a great companion to this one, having also been written by an expert on that topic. Unfortunately, it has been "coming soon" for more than a year.
Rating:
Summary: Start here!
Review: This book is a great start when trying to decide what marine fish to buy. It is handy to take with you to the fish store. There are certainly other great sources of more comprehensive & definitive information about specific fish, but anyone looking to buy saltwater fish should start here. The author, Scott W. Michael, is a renowned expert in this field. He has more than 25 years experience as an aquarist and diver. He has written several other books and contributes regularly to Aquarium Fish Magazine. I'm sure lokking forward to Ron Shimek's invetebrate guide. It should be a great companion to this one, having also been written by an expert on that topic. Unfortunately, it has been "coming soon" for more than a year.
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