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COPYRIGHT 2001 Natural History Magazine, Inc.
The Cichlid Fishes: Nature's Grand Experiment in Evolution, by George W. Barlow (Perseus Publishing, 2001; $28)
Almost all living things, even the obscure and distinctly unromantic, have their human enthusiasts. Fleas have their Rothschild; barnacles, their Darwin; and now cichlids, their Barlow. Cichlids are large, tasty, colorful, and endearingly nasty creatures, familiar to fishermen, aquarium hobbyists, and diners worldwide. Never mind that most people seem constitutionally unable to pronounce their name ("sicklids") in any other way than as a brand of chewing gum. Anyone who reads this book will not forget these fishes, in large part due to the narrative skills of the famously cichlid-smitten ethologist George W. Barlow, of the University of California, Berkeley.
Because of their behavior (which makes them seem far more inquisitive and intelligent than most other fishes) and their brilliant, protean garb (which makes them come across as sensitive and emotive to anybody watching them for more than a few seconds), cichlids occupy a place among fish comparable to that of parrots...
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