Groupers of the World: A Field and Market Guide Craig, T.; Sadovy De Mitcheson, Yvonne and Heemstra, O.

Groupers of the World is a detailed but easy-to-use guide to all of the more than 160 recognised species, of these mostly large, colourful tropical reef fishes, also known as rockcod. The book has detailed line drawings of each species and more than 350 colour photographs depicting the living fish in their natural habitat as well as dead specimens, mostly photographed in markets. Photographs show distinctive colour differences between adults and juveniles, as well as regional colour variations. The wealth of photographs and illustrations together with clear descriptions allow for reliable identification of any of the species, even by those unfamiliar with groupers. Together with the outstanding photographs of these remarkable and important fishes, Groupers of the World has up-to-date biological, ecological and population information for each species. Individual colour maps and descriptions summarise the known distribution of each of the groupers. Groupers are increasingly being harvested for the live food fish trade, and many species are experiencing serious population declines. The IUCN Species Survival Commission (Groupers & Wrasses Specialist Group) has been responsible for compiling the available data so as to evaluate the status and present a summary of threats to each species. The bibliography of almost 1000 references will be very useful to anyone working in the field. Groupers of the World: a Field and Market Guide is an indispensable publication for fisheries scientists and managers as well as divers, anglers and those with an interest in reef fishes in general.

"The book is very attractive and the strength of this guide lies in its detailed drawings, high-quality colour photographs, taxonomic keys and other biological data. ... The arrangement of the book is well suited to both laboratory and field work, especially as it comprises over 150 species from the 16 genera of groupers with over 350 colour photographs ... . In my view, the authors have set a new standard for fish classification, and the arrangement is quite clever from the point of view of presenting outstanding photographs of live specimens and in sorting the species information from an economic point of view. ...

This guide is a very colourful and attractive publication that offers a consistent treatment of groupers occurring in habitats around the world. It is a very useful book that should be of great help to those interested in marine fish species, from amateurs to professionals enjoying the fascination of groupers' diversity. The layout and quality of the publication live up to the high standard we have come to expect from the publisher and ... readers will find the book to be excellent value for money."
―Laith A. Jawad, Fish Biodiversity Expert and Consultant, Marine Science and Fisheries Centre, Ministry of Fisheries wealth, Sultanate of Oman, Marine Biology Research, Vol. 8, 2012

"... prior to Groupers of the World, there was no comprehensive guide to all groupers that included both underwater and market specimen color photographs. The contribution includes a short introductory chapter, a section on how to use the guide, which includes a glossary of terms, and detailed accounts of all 163 valid species of the family Epinephelidae.
Altogether, this book does an excellent job of summarizing information available for groupers, and is an excellent guide for identification both in the field and in fish markets. The wealth of information about conservation is an added bonus, and it is hoped that it will influence fishermen in the tropics. In conclusion, I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in grouper identification, biology and conservation."
―Luiz A. Rocha, Assistant Curator and Follett Chair of Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences, Copeia, December 2012

"In addition to introducing readers to the field and summarizing the latest scientific discoveries, this book serves as a detailed reference guide to the 163 known species of grouper. The authors demonstrate how to identify each species using more than 300 beautiful color photographs and line drawings, and detailed maps show where each can be found. The population status (including major threats and some proposed solutions), IUCN Red List conservation status, life history information and known feeding behavior is also reviewed for each species."
―David Shiffman – WhySharksMatter, in Southern Fried Science, July 23, 2012