"Marine Food Fishes and Fisheries of Sabah" by P. K. Chin. (1998)

ISBN 983-812-019-7. 280 ppp. Natural History Publications, Ming Kiang Sdn. Bhd., Lot 2G16-2G18, Api-Api centre, Jalan Centre Point, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, East Malaysia.

MARINE FOOD FISHES AND FISHERIES OF SABAH.

Adapted from Borneo Store. Accessed on 2nd July 2007.

The marine fish fauna of the huge Malaysian state of Sabah in Borneo is generally regarded to be one of exceptional diversity. Strangely enough, there has never been any attempt to put the information into one tome. This deficiency is now partially resolved, and again, it is by the "dean" of Sabahan ichthyology, Datuk Chin Phui Kong. Best known for his book (with Bob Inger) on the freshwater Fishes of North Borneo (Chicago Field Museum, 1962) which has become one of the key references on Bornean freshwater fish, Datuk Chin has now moved on to the sea. The present book focuses on the fishing industry and commercial species found in Sabah's waters, and gives us a snapshot of the richness of the state's coastal waters. Of the over 600 species which appear in its markets, 376 of the more common ones are described and in most cases, figured in colour. The photographs are in most cases, excellent, showing specimens as they would appear fresh in the market. Interesting is that in addition to the standard taxonomic descriptions, details of the local fishery for each species is provided. Of value too is the provision of local vernacular names (Malay, Chinese and Bajau) for each species. In addition to the fish information, Datuk Chin has also included a history of the fishery industry in Sabah. the fishing gears used and the types of boats utilised. All in all, a very nice book for any practicing ichthyologist as well as informed fisherman, professional or amateur!

Peter K. L. Hg
Department of Biological Sciences
National University of Singapore
Kent Ridge, Singapore 119260, Republic of Singapore

First published in The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Vol. 46(2): 661 on 30 Dec 1998.

"Ornithology of Sabah: History, Gazetteer, Annotated Checklist and Bibliography" by Sheldon, F. H. et al. (2001)

Ornithology of Sabah: History, Gazetteer, Annotated Checklist and Bibliography. Sheldon, F. H., R. G. Moyle & J. Kennard, 2001. Ornithological Monographs 52, American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. vi + 285 pp. USD 25.00. Without ISBN number.
































Occupying the north part of the island of Borneois Malaysian state of Sabah. Due to its unique geographic location, Borneo is one of the nerve centres of biodiversity. However, sadly, biodiversity of Sabah, as of Southeast Asia, is poorly studied. This sad reality remains despite the fact that habitat destruction in Southeast Asia has been unprecedented in recent times. Sound biological knowledge, in my mind, is needed for effective conservation. Any monograph on the birds of Sabah should therefore be good news. However, when I received a copy of this monographs, two thoughts came to my mind. First, I thought -not another book on birds of Southeast Asia! There are numerous books (field guides) on the birds of Southeast Asia -most of them are scientifically useless as they often lack adequate information on the bird biology. Second, I thought that anybody could compile the available information. As I show below, both of my thoughts were wrong.

This monograph is divided into five parts: introduction, history, gazetteer, annotated checklist and bibliography. Included in introduction are physical, geographical and habitat features of Sabah. Also included are critical analyses on evolution, ecology, behaviour and conservation. These four parts make this monograph apart from traditional field guides that I was mentioning earlier. As mentioned, all these chapters are critically written. In addition to succinctly summarizing the current state of knowledge, they point the readers towards the areas that potential researchers can home in. Probably because of lack of information, ecology and behaviour section dwell on Bornean birds than specifically on Sabahan birds.

The authors point out the biological benefits of strategically placing agricultural plantations. Such examples show that both conservation and exploitation can be and should be effectively balanced. All survey sites in Sabah are mapped with geographic coordinates given for most of them. This I admit is a mammoth task in its own particularly because the sites have Malay names and would have been difficult to map. In my mind, the most valuable part of this book is the species descriptions. When available, data on the species' biology are presented. Such information will be particularly useful for future studies such as those comparing guild compositions among sites.

Anybody interested in Southeast Asian birds should own this monograph. With this work, the stage is set for more quantitative ornithological research in Sabah. I have a number of wishes. First, I hope that similar monographs are published for other regions such as Sarawak and Java. Second, I hope that ornithological research in Southeast Asia takes a leap from traditional survey work. Last, governments in the region provide conducive environment for scientific research - unknown biodiversity cannot be protected adequately.

Navjot S. Sodhi
Department of Biological Sciences
National University of Singapore
Blk S2. 14 Science Drive 4
Singapore 117543
Republic of Singapore

First published in The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Vol. 50(2): 511 on 31 Dec 2002

"The Borneo Suckers," by Tan Heok Hui (2006)

Natural History Publications (Borneo), Kota Kinabalu, 245 pp., 18 colour plates, 130 monochrome figures, 15 maps. ISBN 983-812-105-3.

THE BORNEO SUCKERS.
Beautiful and charismatic fish always have had an attraction for taxonomists. And to the public as well. However, many non-ichthyologists do not realize that the taxonomy of many of the most colorful fishes aquarists and biologists fancy is often very difficult. The resolution of the numerous systematic problems associated with such fish requires a keen eye, a good appreciation of their taxonomic history, extensive field work, the need to acquire numerous specimens, a necessity to work with fresh and live material, and a good understanding of their biology and habits. When these “ideals” can come together, we can expect a work of great significance. The present book by H. H. Tan is one such “masterpiece”.

Sucker loaches or gastromyzontine loaches are strange animals to say the least. They neither look nor behave like fish – they are more likes tadpoles in many respects. Their flattened body form is superbly adapted to life in pristine water torrents, and they feed on the algae and riparian insects associated with these habitats. And they are a Bornean phenomenon – the three genera of these loaches occur only on the great island of Borneo. Despite their stringent water requirements and fussy food requirements, they are quite popular in the aquarium trade – they are strange fish with unusual habits and colorful patterns.

In the eight years it has taken to finish this study and get it to print, Tan has visited numerous museums where the old material is held, worked with many colleagues in Sarawak, Sabah, Kalimantan and Brunei to get fresh material, and benefited from the help provided by many professionals. In the process, he has cleared up most of the “sticky” problems long associated with these fishes. The colour patterns, so valuable in their taxonomy, are identified using fresh material, and correlated with new morphological characters. The identities of several supposedly wide ranging species (e.g. G. borneensis) is clarified and restricted, and in the process, a good number of new species are described. Tan recognizes three genera, Gastromyzon, Neogastromyzon and Hypergastromyzon, with a total of 41 species. Of these, 19 are described as new by Tan in this book. However, Tan had already described nine species in preceding years – so in total, almost 70% of the known taxa were described through his research activities over the years.

The book is organized into seven main chapters: Introduction, Biogeographical Observations, Ecological Observations, Economic Value, Bornean Endemic Genera and Species, Material and Methods, and Taxonomy. Many of the biogeographical and ecological observations are new from his study – stemming from the extensive field work done and analysis of datasets. The many species are treated systematically in 11 species groups, and all are described and figured in detail. One of the most striking aspects of the book must surely be the large number of color plates provided – 18 – and 29 species are illustrated in full colour – many for the first time. Worthy of further study is their conservation – Tan notes that of the 41 species known, 19 have very restricted distributions, being confined to single river basins or the like. This makes them highly vulnerable to human activities – and as their presence is closely associated with the water quality, this is surely a concern.

This is a book all ichthyologists, aquarists and lovers of Southeast Asian animals will love to have on their shelves. As much as H. H. Tan must be congratulated on getting this book out, kudos must also go to the chief editor of the Natural History Publications series - Chan Chew Lun – who has published many excellent books on Bornean biodiversity and culture, and in the process, opened the eyes of the world to the wonders of the region.

Peter K. L. Ng
Department of Biological Sciences
National University of Singapore
Kent Ridge, Singapore 119260, Republic of Singapore
Email: dbsngkl@nus.edu.sg

First published in The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Vol. 53(2): 289 on 31 Dec 2005