Antarctic Fishes

by Mitsuo Fukuchi (Editor), Harvey Marchant (Editor), Boshu Nagase (Illustrator)

Overview

The introduction gives a short account, including diagrams, of the evolution of the Antarctic fish fauna following the formation of the Southern Ocean resulting from the breakup of Gondwana. There is a short description of the art of gyotaku, including illustrations. Gyotaku is a distinctively Japanese way of illustrating nature. Fine paper is moistened and applied to the surface of a fish or plant. Coloured inks are then used to colour the imprint of the Fish. Boshu Nagase has over 30 years experience of producing gyotaku and is regarded as the principal exponent of this art form. The main text describes 120 species and each description is accompanied by a whole page gyotaku illustration in colour. The authors and editors are internationally recognised Antactic Fish biologists.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781877058462
Publisher:	Rosenberg, David Publishing Pty, Ltd.
Publication date:	01/30/2007
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	9.84(w) x 13.98(h) x (d)

About the Author

Mitsuo Fukuchi is universally recognized as an authority on polar marine ecology. Currently he is a deputy director-general of the National Institute of Polar Research in Japan, where he has worked as a marine ecologist for over thirty years. Harvey J. Marchant is an international authority on Antarctic biology, having worked as a biologist for the Australian Antarctic Division for twenty-six years. Master artist Boshu Nagase has over thirty years' experience in producing gyotaku and is regarded as the principal living exponent of this art form. Gyotaku is a distinctive and delicate method of illustrating subjects from nature—most notably fish. It involves gently molding a dampened sheet of fine, strong rice paper to the surface and dabbing colored inks over the paper to create a beautifully detailed and lifelike full-sized portrait.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments     4
Foreword   Dr Denzil Miller     6
Preface     7
The Southern Ocean     8
The ocean and its biology     8
Evolution of the Southern Ocean's fish fauna     13
Commercial exploitation and the role of CCAMLR     14
The art of gyotaku     17
Selected Antarctic fish: The gyotaku     21
Glossary     130
Bibliography     131
A biography of the artist     133
About the authors     134
Index of common and scientific names     136

Editorial Reviews

For each fish, the authors provide a brief description that covers the fish's habits and distribution and usually mentions interesting aspects of its ecology or physiology. Each is depicted in a full-page illustration. Nagase created these delicate, detailed fish rubbings by molding a moistened sheet of paper over a specimen and dabbing colored inks onto the paper using a silk-covered wad of cotton.

Science

Readers will want it on their coffee tables... stands on its own as an elegant and informative work of art.

Natural History

This fascinating and gorgeous large-format book uses a traditional Japanese art form to beautifully illustrate some of the most interesting fish in the world.

— Jeff Rubin

Polar Times