672 COPEIA, 2003, NO. 3 behavior, herpetology, and entomology. These PROJECT PIABA. Ning Labbish Chao, Paulo include a number of somewhat obscure but im- Petry, Gregory Prang, Leonard Sonneschien, portant references heretofore relatively un- and Michael Tlusty (eds.). 2001. Editoria de known to the non-German-speaking world, es- Universidade do Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil. pecially on the mechanisms of insect hearing, ISBN 85-7401-083-9. 310 p. $40.00 (soft- including several Ph.D. dissertations. It gener- bound).—The cardinal tetra, Paracheirodon ax- ally is carefully edited. Like many first editions, elrodi,was largely responsible for rejuvenation of the odd typographical or factual error inevitably the aquarium industry in the United States infiltrates the otherwise uninfected text, but upon its entrance onto the market in the late these are few and do not detract from the flow 1950s. This species is exported from the middle of the ideas. If I were to make one suggestion Rio Negro of Brazil in huge numbers, compris- for the second edition, it would be to improve ing up to 80% of 20 million total fishes per year, the general quality of the illustrations. For ex- and supports a US$3 million local annual econ- ample, the photographs (e.g., Fig. 11.2), scan- omy (65% of the total) involving roughly 80% ning electron micrographs (e.g., Fig. 5.6) and of the local population of 16,000 in the vicinity the sound spectrograms and oscillograms (e.g., of Barcelos. Although a minute fraction of the Figs. 9.6 and 9.7) suffer from poor resolution. total commercial fishery in the Amazon basin Despite these minor criticisms, I very much en- (Bayley and Petrere, 1989), the ornamental fish- joyed reading the book, learned quite a bit from ery nevertheless represents the principal subsis- it, and emerged in awe of the authors’ scholar- tence activity in the Barcelos region, following ship and remarkable synthesis of the commu- the decline in extractive economies for latex nication neuroethology of these two disparate and palm fibers in the 1970s. This volume in- yet acoustically related taxa. It should serve as cludes the majority of the papers and presen- the definitive text in this area for the foresee- tations offered at a workshop on Amazon River able future and will, with any luck, spawn other biodiversity held at the St. Louis Children’s intriguing intergroup comparisons. Aquarium in May 1999. The stated purpose of the workshop was to bring together represen- LITERATURE CITED tatives from all sectors of the ornamental fish industry with field researchers to discuss find- BAILEY,W.J., AND J. D. ROBERTS. 1981. The bioacous- ings and review progress of Project Piaba—an tics of the burrowing frog Heleioporus (Leptodactyl- independent, interdisciplinary project that idae). J. Nat. Hist. 15:258–288. seeks to understand and promote the economic BENNET-CLARK,H.C.1987. The tuned singing burrow and social-cultural systems involved in the or- of mole crickets. J. Exp. Biol. 128:383–409. namental fishery of the middle Rio Negro. FENG,A.S.1982. Quantitative analysis of intensity-rate and intensity-latency functions in peripheral audi- The resulting book offers a heterogeneous as- tory nerve fibers of northern leopard frogs (Rana semblage of papers treating diverse subjects, p. pipiens). Hearing Res. 6:24–246. ranging from the commercial and practical as- LARDNER,B.2002. Tree-hole frogs exploit resonance pects of the ornamental fish trade, aquatic ecol- effects. Nature 420:475. ogy and biodiversity, and cultural and economic MO¨ RCHEN,A.J., J. RHEINLAENDER, AND J. SCHWARTZ- anthropology. The style of presentation reflects KOPFF. 1978. Latency shift in insect auditory nerve that of a standard academic treatise, wherein fibers. Naturwissenschaften 65:656. most papers include an abstract (and Portu- PENNA,M.,AND R. SOL´ıS. 1996. Influence of burrow guese resumo), text, acknowledgments, and lit- acoustics on sound reception by frogs Eusophus (Leptodactylidae). Anim. Behav. 51:255–263. erature cited. Excerpts from the question and answer session following the respective work- shop presentations accompany most chapters. PETER M. NARINS, Departments of Physiological Sci- ence and OBEE Biology, University of California, However, the volume fails to deliver on the ac- Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive, South, ademic side because of the poor quality and Los Angeles, California 90095; E-mail: pnarins@ limited scholarship offered by several of the in- ucla.edu. cluded papers, many of which appear to repre- sent third-party transcriptions of the oral work- shop presentations. Contrary to the stated in- tentions for the volume (p. xiii), the included papers are not all directly related and well in- tegrated within the overall theme of the Rio Ne- CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF gro ornamental fishery since several papers of- ORNAMENTAL FISH RESOURCES OF THE fer simplistic views of tangential relevance or ad- RIO NEGRO BASIN, AMAZONIA, BRAZIL— dress issues relevant to the aquarium trade in BOOK REVIEWS 673 other regions of the world. The production mate warming (McAllister and Goreau); and quality of the volume is atrocious, with multiple pet industry involvement in sustainable use, misspellings, sentence fragments, missing captive breeding, and conservation initiatives words, and similar errors occurring on nearly (Myers, Dawes). Several of these papers are sim- every page. The editors acknowledge that sev- plistic, offering cursory treatment and little in- eral speakers did not review the final versions sight into the issues at hand. The chapter by of their papers, leaving that task to the editors. Prang is exceptional in providing a fascinating, Iwas perplexed, however, to read the statement insightful analysis of the socioeconomics of the (p. xvi) absolving the editors from responsibility ornamental fish trade. The author describes the for the ‘‘accuracy of the articles.’’ Perhaps so for dynamic between patron (buyers or atavessa- the data and interpretations contained in the dores—the intermediary representatives of the individual papers, but surely five editors (native few local exporters) and client (subsistence fish- English speakers included among them) should erman or piabeiros) as a barter form of mer- have been sufficient to eliminate such errors. chant capitalism, analogous with (but somewhat Furthermore, the volume also fails to provide a modified over) the oligopolistic trade practiced clear sense of what Project Piaba has accom- in the form of indentured servitude between plished to date and where it is headed. patron and client rubber tapper during the rub- The book is organized in three major sec- ber boom years. Now, however, the relationship tions, plus an overview chapter by three of the between patron exporter and client piabeiro is five editors (Chao, Prang, Petry) that provides monetary—cash or goods paid for fishes on de- a general introduction to Project Piaba and livery, rather than as payment for goods ad- clearly states that project’s objectives: to derive vanced previously by the patron. Also, in con- amanagement strategy for the ornamental fish- trast to the seringueiros (rubber tappers), pia- ery in the vicinity of Barcelos, Brazil, through beiros do not generally incur large debts, are research on the biology, ecology, and socioeco- free to sell fishes to multiple patrons, and often nomic factors of direct concern. One issue that are opportunistically engaged in other extrac- comes through prominently as part of the man- tive activities, fishing only when economically agement strategy is the desire to move more of most favorable. So that more of the profit re- the economic benefit of the fish trade to the mains with the piabeiros and their families, local fishers. At present, most of the profit is Prang argues that direct export of fishes from garnered by the exporters in Manaus and the Barcelos (rather than from Manaus) should be importers in Miami. Generation of baseline encouraged. However, this strategy will require data on aquatic resources is listed among five greater collaboration and provision of govern- major accomplishments of Project Piaba (p. 4); ment incentives, both of which represent major however, the volume does not specify or sum- obstacles at present. marize the scope or content of those data, apart The second major section (Part Three: Aquat- from listing five unpublished postgraduate the- ic Ecosystem and Biodiversity) offers six papers ses on abundance and distribution of cardinal on Rio Negro and Amazonian aquatic ecology tetra and general fish community ecology. An- (Forsberg et al., Walker), review of fishery sta- other 24 titles are listed among the project’s tistics and diversity of fishes of the middle Rio bibliography, but only one of these appears to Negro (Chao), description of a proposed study represent a peer-reviewed empirical paper and on population genetics of the cardinal tetra concerns the description of a new fish species. (Harris and Petry), review of cytogenetic studies Given the importance of the cardinal tetra to on Amazonian fishes (Porto et al.), and ecology the local economy, one would expect that study and fishery biology of aquatic turtles, Peltoce- of its reproductive ecology, life history, popula- phalus dumerilianus and Podocnemis erythrocephala tion genetics, development, and husbandry (Vogt). The chapter by Forsberg et al. is essen- would figure prominently in the research pro- tially a summary description of results from a gram of Project Piaba. long-term research program examining the in- The first major section (Part Two: Ornamen- fluence of physical factors on the biological dy- tal Fish Industry and Local Subsistence) offers namics of the Rio Jau´, a tributary of the lower eight papers on history of discovery of the car- Rio Negro. Because much of the original data dinal tetra (Axelrod) and extractive economies was published elsewhere or is contained in un- in the Barcelos region (Machado); hobbyist in- published theses and because no methods are volvement via ecotourism (Dowd); socioeco- described, it is difficult to evaluate much of the nomic organization of the ornamental fishery content and interpretations offered. The paper in Barcelos (Prang); efforts to promote cyanide- by Walker describes the results of a long-term free capture of Philippine fishes (Baquero); cli- study of benthic biodiversity of a blackwater for- 674 COPEIA, 2003, NO. 3 est stream near Manaus—a system characterized on the specimens provided to them, with Axel- by a highly diverse and dense assemblage of rod (1956) contending that they had come consumer species that overlap greatly in terms from Porto Velho (Rio Madeira), Brazil, and of resource use, yet has remained stable over Myers contending that they had come from Ma- the 20-year observation period. However, to ex- naus. plain this apparent paradox, the author invokes Iwas left with two general impressions after an obscure and abstract theoretical argument reading this volume. First, I was disappointed by that I found to be a distraction and out of place its content and left wanting to know more about in this volume. Chao provides a nice review of Project Piaba—what science the project has gen- Project Piaba’s objectives and results to date, erated to date and what is planned for the fu- mostly related to fishery catch and export dy- ture. The heterogeneity of the included chap- namics; however, missing data on shipments ters and the numerous errors and editorial from Barcelos for certain periods and the pro- problems were an inescapable distraction. Sec- portion of totals represented by cardinal tetra ond, I was left somewhat discouraged about the make it difficult to distinguish between variance future prospects for the piabeiros in Barcelos. in environmental conditions affecting produc- The ‘‘Buy a Fish, Save a Tree’’ slogan offer on tion versus availability of fishes relative to fluc- the outside back cover of the book is a catchy tuations in market demand as explanations for phrase intended to spark interest in the book the patterns observed. and in Project Piaba, but it is inaccurate given The final section (Part Four: Fish Health) in- that the annual flooding of the forests, rather cludes two papers on veterinary medicine and than the value of the ornamental fishery, effec- infectious diseases (Lewbart) and the impor- tively prohibits timber extraction in the region. tance of monitoring water quality during trans- In my rather limited experience, it seems that port of fishes (Waichman et al.). The former cardinal tetras are now seldom available in local paper details methods of diagnosis and treat- pet shops, likely because of the increased cost ment for several diseases and parasite infesta- at retail resulting from higher mortality relative tions, both common and exotic. The latter to captive-bred neons and other species. At pre- chapter examines water quality fluctuations dur- sent, the piabeiro’s income from fishing is not ing transport of fishes from the field to expor- limited by availability of fishes, but rather by tation and concludes that transport-induced market demand for ornamental fishes that fluc- stress is primarily responsible for mortality (over tuates widely, has declined steadily at about 8% 50%) atimport. per year for the previous four to five years and In addition to the socioeconomics of the or- is under severe competition from the availability namental fishery, the history of the discovery of captive bred stocks from Asia and North and controversy surrounding the original de- America. Wild-caught specimens represent less scription of the cardinal tetra are almost as col- than 10% of the global market of tropical fresh- orful as the fish itself. Although not detailed water aquarium fishes, yet remain an important herein, the literature indicates that a small char- component of the industry from the standpoint acin similar in color to the neon tetra (Parach- of maintenance of genetic diversity of captive eirodon innesi)had been discussed by German stocks. Because the ornamental fishery in Bar- biologists and aquarists as early as 1952 (Weitz- celos represents a fraction of the fishes export- man, 1956; Geisler and Annibal, 1986). In 1956, ed from South America, one may ask: to what specimens were sent independently to L. P. extent can efforts to organize and manage the Schultz by Axelrod, who originally acknowl- Rio Negro fishery at the local level succeed in edged (Axelrod, 1956) that the specimens had the face of global market conditions that ulti- been received from a New Jersey fish dealer on mately determine the piabeiro’s potential in- 10—11 Febuary 1956, and to G. S. Myers and S. come from fishing? Project Piaba is to be com- H. Weitzman by W. T. Innes and Paramount mended for its efforts to promote sustainable Aquarium (Myers and Weitzman, 1956). Both use and conservation of these aquatic resources. Schultz (1956) and Myers and Weitzman (1956) published a description of the species in Feb- ruary 1956, and, after a contentious debate and LITERATURE CITED split vote, the International Commission AXELROD,H.R.1956. The beautiful scarlet characin (ICZN) ruled on the priority of the name Chei- Cheirodon axelrodi Schultz. Trop. Fish Hobby 4:16– rodon axelrodi Schultz (ICZN, 1957; Opinion 17. 485). So that the commercial interests of the BAYLEY,P.B.,AND M. PETRERE JR. 1989. Amazon fish- exporters were protected, these authors were eries: assessment methods, current status and man- not provided with precise locality information agement options, p. 385–398. In: Proceedings of BOOK REVIEWS 675

the international large river symposium, D. P. our system of public education and in the long Dodge (ed.). Can. Spec. Publ. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 106. runonthe future of science in this country. GEISLER, R., AND S. R. ANNIBAL. 1986. Ecology of the Opposition to the concepts of evolution ap- cardinal-tetra Paracheirodon axelrodi (Pisces, Chara- pears to be stronger in the United States than coidea) in the river basin of the Rio Negro/Brazil in any other country in the West. Difficulties in as well as breeding-related factors, p. 7–39. In: An- imal research and development. A biannual collec- apprehending these fundamental biological tion of recent German contributions concerning principles stem from inadequate education, par- development through animal research. Vol. 23. A. ticularly in the sciences but in other areas as Bittner (ed.), Inst. Wissensch. Zusammenarb., Tu¨- well, and from the long-standing belief in the bingen, Germany. account of creation given in the Book of Gen- INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON ZOOLOGICAL NOMEN- esis, a belief reinforced by the purveyors of ul- CLATURE. 1957. Opinion 485. Determination of the traconservative religious doctrines. It is little un- relative priority to be assigned to the names Chei- derstood by the public at large that an appre- rodon axelrodi Schultz (L. P.) and Hyphessobrycon car- ciation of evolution is basic to an overall under- dinalis Myers (G. S.) and Weitzman (S. H.) (Class Pisces), both being names published in February standing of the biological sciences and 1956. Opinions and Declarations Rendered by the undergirds all research in those disciplines. At- International Commission on Zoological Nomen- tempts to restrict or prevent the teaching of evo- clature 17:33–49. lutionary theories are clear evidence that many MYERS,G.S.,AND S. H. WEITZMAN. 1956 (21 Febru- people not only do not grasp the centrality of ary). Two new Brazilian fresh-water fishes. Stanford those concepts to the life sciences but also fail Ichthyol. Bull. 7:1–4. to appreciate the importance of supporting the SCHULTZ,L.P.1956 (20 February). The amazing new freedom to explore ideas that lead to deeper fish called the scarlet characin (from a letter by Dr. knowledge, even if the facts revealed contradict Leonard P. Schultz). Trop. Fish Hobby 4:41–43. conventional wisdom or religious beliefs. A WEITZMAN,S.H.1956. The cardinal tetra. Aquar. J. 27:257–259. poorly educated public, religious conservatism, and an inadequate understanding of academic freedom, factors that are not entirely indepen- SCOTT A. SCHAEFER, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, dent, feed upon one another to varying de- American Museum of Natural History, Central grees, producing an environment that is often Park West at 79th Street, New York, New York unfriendly to activities of the intellect. 10024-5192; E-mail: [email protected]. In the first chapter, ‘‘Where Did the Contro- versy Come From?’’ the author presents a short history of the dispute, touching on events such as the Huxley-Wilberforce debate, the Scopes trial, and recent legal encounters, including acts passed by the legislatures of Arkansas and Lou- DENYING EVOLUTION: CREATIONISM, SCI- isiana that were ruled as unconstitutional by ENTISM, AND THE NATURE OF SCIENCE. Federal courts. Massimo Pigliucci. 2002. Sinauer Associates, ‘‘Evolution-Creationism 101,’’ is the title of Inc., 23 Plumtree Road, Sunderland, Massachu- the second chapter, in which Pigliucci exam- setts 01375–0407; E-mail: [email protected]. ines, among other items, the many forms of cre- ISBN 0-87893-659-9. x ϩ 338 p. $24.95 (paper- ationism (concentrating on ‘‘scientific creation- back).—The response by many to another book ism’’ and intelligent design, ID) and what evo- on the evolution/creationism controversy might lution is and is not. In the United States, many be ho hum. But Denying Evolution is not ho hum; of the most influential antievolutionists have it is an important book that deserves wide read- been associated with the Institute for Creation ership. A review of a volume on the evolution/ Research in El Cajon, California, and/or the creationism controversy might seem out of Creation Research Society (Numbers, 1992). place in a journal dedicated to ichthyology and Beginning in the mid-1990s neocreationists and herpetology, but it is appropriate, I feel, because their ID theory moved to the forefront of the a very large percentage of the readers of Copeia battle. The neocreationists ‘‘largely do not be- are involved in some manner with education. It lieve in a young Earth or in a too-literal inter- should be noted that an active member of pretation of the Bible,’’ but ‘‘neocreationism is ASIH, Tim Berra, has published a book that still propelled mostly by a religious agenda and provides a good introduction to the controversy financed by mainly Christian sources, such as (Berra, 1990). Most people, including many sci- the Templeton Foundation and the Discovery entists, do not realize the potential harm that a Institute’’ (p. 53–54). The Discovery Institute’s relatively small number of zealots can inflict on Center for Renewal of Science and Culture in