A marine science illustrator from Charlottesville recently published the first full-color field guide to fish that are native to the waters off the Atlantic coast. Val Kells said it was time for an updated, fully illustrated book to help avid fishermen and scientists know exactly what's in our waterways.
Kells calls her workspace at home the "fish cave." It's where she spent five years developing her book "A Field Guide to Coastal Fishes from Maine to Texas."
The book identifies more than a thousand fishes from the ordinary to the unusual. Readers can learn about the Sargassumfish, known to stalk its prey while clinging to rafts of seaweed, or the Man-of-War fish that lives under the tentacles of the venomous Man-of-War jelly. Each illustration is accurate and aesthetic.
"I tried to create each one as it would appear alive and at the surface of the water," Kells said.
She said the last time a field guide to fishes in the Atlantic coast and Gulf coast was produced was back in 1986. Since then, Kells said a lot has changed.
"With the introduction of new species it's important to keep track of what's in the ocean. And with the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, this is gonna be a really important identification tool for scientists," Kells said.
Gordon English at Albemarle Angler in Charlottesville said avid fishers can find the reference book helpful too.
"Where it really comes in handy is if you want to know a little bit more in-depth information about a species, or its range, or its habitat," English said.
The book retails for about $25. It's available locally at Albemarle Angler and Barnes & Noble.
