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Reef Fishes of the East Indies. Volumes I-III. Gerald R. Allen and Mark V. Erdmann. 2012. Tropical Reef Research, Perth, Australia. ISBN: 978-0-9872600-0-0. 1,292 p. $249.00 (hardcover).-The region between the Andaman Sea, southwestern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines, collectively known as the East Indies, harbors some of the most diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in the planet. As many as 4,000 species of marine fishes can be found in the area, of which approximately 2,600 are associated with shallow coral reefs. These books include detailed accounts of 2,631 species of coral reef fishes distributed among 120 families, and represent the most comprehensive treatment of this important fauna since Weber and de Beaufort's (1911-1962) work, which was largely based on Bleeker (1862-1878). Gerald Allen and Mark Erdmann, authors of the three-volume Reef Fishes of the East Indies, could not be better qualified to write these books. Both spent most of their scientific careers based in or around Indonesia, conducting fieldwork and describing hundreds of species from that region.
The series starts with a 19-page introduction that familiarizes the reader with the East Indies both historically and geographically. Short sections (half to one page) are presented for every country in the region, and the authors highlight areas in need of research while also talking about past collections. A well-written section about the zoogeography of the East Indies follows the introduction. Here the authors present the leading hypotheses to explain the high biodiversity found in the area as well as a detailed zoogeographical analysis of the fauna with the most current numbers for endemism. They also analyze the taxonomic composition of the endemics and reach the interesting, but not surprising, conclusion that most endemics are restricted to a few groups whose pelagic larval stage (the main mode of dispersal in coral reef fishes) is relatively short or absent. An entire section of two pages is dedicated to Cenderawasih Bay, a small area in West Papua that harbors unusually high endemism. The next section provides details about the biological aspects of coral reef fishes, including reproduction, ecology, and hybridization.
The East Indian region...