Site of the Week
Australian Museum Fish Site http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/
Our previous review of the Australian Museum site http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/webguide/198sofweek.shtml has already pointed out the existence of this sub-section, but it’s just so good it had to have an SOTW of it’s very own. This comprehensive look at Ichthyology down-under covers many aspects of fish biology: from a quick look at the museum’s fish department and general discussions of what makes a fish a fish, to details of individual species with in-depth illustrated factfiles. Click on ‘find a fish’ to browse the species accounts either by common or scientific name, or use the search facility if you have a particular favourite - the barred grunter or the bastard trumpeter, perhaps - in mind. The ‘student stuff’ section goes even deeper into the biology of things, examining fish adaptations and using a step-by-step fish dissection to carefully explain the anatomy and intricate internal workings of a blue mackerel. The video clips in the movies section all require Windows Media Player, which Mac users can also get hold of via the link provided. The clips are mostly short, but for those brief 10 or 15 seconds they take you diving with halfmoon triggerfish, moray eels and more, and some clips even include atmospheric scuba sound-effects. The frequently asked questions (FAQ) section has a collection of fishy answers to common queries, while the fish identification section takes you to an interactive key, to help you to sort your fish families from each other in no time. “Does your specimen have a prominent dorsal fin?” - if yes, go to question three. “Is your foot still attached to your ankle?”
Richard Northover
Info-content ** Readability ** Appearance *** User friendliness ** Kids ** Plug-ins Windows Media