A Guide to Freshwater Fishes of Oregon

A Guide to Freshwater Fishes of Oregon provides identification aids and images of most of the 137 species and subspecies of native and non-native freshwater fishes known in Oregon. Larval and juvenile stages and hybrids are also illustrated for some groups.

Knowing the name of an organism is the first step in scientific communication and in understanding an organism’s place in nature. Many groups of Oregon fishes are difficult to identify because of their size, diversity of forms, or lack of comprehensive study. In addition, there is still debate about the number of species or subspecies in Oregon. This guide makes uses established names while highlighting apparent biological diversity. The compromise between name stability and a system that reflects biodiversity is a compromise between scientific communication and the organism’s place in nature. New knowledge in the future will likely change the arrangements used here.

This guide facilitates the identification of Oregon freshwater fishes with annotated keys and detailed color photographs and illustrations. It will be useful to professional biologists, sportsmen and anglers, and anyone curious about the freshwater fishes of Oregon.

DOUGLAS F. MARKLE is Emeritus Professor of Fisheries at Oregon State University. He holds a PhD in Marine Science from William and Mary University. A childhood aquarium enthusiast, he went on to research deep-sea fishes, coral reef fish that live inside sea cucumbers, cods, flounders, and a variety of freshwater fishes. A Guide to Freshwater Fishes of Oregon is his first book.
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